Hellsing: the nightfall
by GLeo
Summary: I have only recently read Hellsing and watched all the Ova's. I really liked them and I wanted to make a contribution to the fanworld of Hellsing myself. The story 'picks up' where Hirano left off - the return of Alucard, 30 years after the battle in London. It turns out that there were unexpected 'calls from the past' awaiting him. Feel free to comments and thanks for reading :)
1. Prologue

Prologue

Only on the third day of his long-awaited return, Alucard began to get used to the complete remodeling of the mansion that took place after the vicious assault by Zorin and her forces thirty years ago. He was now omnipresent, but he tried not to abuse that ability around Integra and Seras – except when he used it for means of quick conveyance. Using it just for fun in order to give Seras an occasional scare did not amuse him as he thought it would. He felt that her power and abilities had grown to the point where their master-servant relationship had become little more than a sentimental token. Both of them embraced it to the fullest, of course, but their true feelings towards each other were much more complicated than that. They were mostly of familial nature yet with tiny hints of passionate interest, although neither Alucard nor Seras would ever consciously admit to that. He was glad to see her after thirty years of wandering around his own world and killing his other selves, and he was proud of how far she has come as a vampire. And she… she was just truly happy to finally reunite with that person… that being… that monster… who turned her life into what it was right now. Back then, on than fateful night, he had to kill her in order to give her a change to live again. Had he not done that, she would have been long gone now… and, probably, gone not just once, but twice: first as a human, and then as a ghoul, shot down by his silver bullet. She had never consciously realized how thankful she was that he was there on that night. That he was there just in time. And that he gave her a choice… She had never actually thanked him for that, but he knew how grateful she truly was. And she knew that he knew that… And now when he was finally back, all she felt was overwhelming joy and anticipation of what lied ahead…


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Walking into Integra's office, Alucard met face to face with the new butler of the Hellsing Organization. The butler was new only for Alucard, of course. In fact, however, Bennett was hired by Integra shortly after the events of the thirty years ago.

"Good evening, mister Alucard," Bennett greeted him with a slight bow, "Sir Integra is waiting for you."

"Is she? How curious," Alucard replied, "I don't believe that she summoned me."

Bennett responded with another bow and headed down the hallway. Perfectly capable of going through the door, Alucard nevertheless pushed it open and entered in a proper manner. Integra was sitting at her desk and raised her head at the noise of the opening door.

"Evening, Alucard."

"Good evening, my Master," Alucard bowed his head, "Somehow I was under the impression that it was I who wanted to talk to you, not the other way around. That butler seems to have a very content nature, doesn't he? Among all other things, I've been meaning to ask you, how did you come across him?"

"Well, the better question would be how he came across me," Interga smirked, "And even to this day it seems somewhat a mystery to me. As you can imagine, some of the Wild Geese… the mercenaries, whom we hired back then, remember… well, they had families."

"Naturally."

"Well… some of those families apparently knew that Hellsing was the last place of employment for those men… and they knew that it became their grave. After the events of the thirty years ago I've received quite a few inquiries in the mail… had to respond to them all… writing the same words over and over again…"

"It must have been tough for you as a human."

"It was. But then this seventeen-year-old kid with a piece of luggage showed up at our doors. He said that he had spent all the money he had to buy a plane ticket from New Zealand. He was the son of one of those mercenaries. He said that he knew what his father died for and wanted to continue that legacy. Not as a mercenary, but as someone who works for an organization which deals with out-of-this-world evils… like vampires… or werewolves… or anything of that nature. I couldn't believe what I was hearing at first, but he turned out to be quite versed in occult knowledge, which most people, as you know, consider to be pure nonsense – even thirty years after what happened in London. But Bennett was different. He was an enthusiast, if you will. I tried to turn him away… I tried to convince him that the occult world was far more dangerous than he thought… I offered him money so he could get a ticket back to New Zealand, but in the end, he won. I needed a butler, and I gave him a chance."

"Really?" Alucard grinned, "Just like that? That doesn't sound like you."

"Trust me, Alucard, I tried everything I could. And afterwards, I had to suffer for a year or two, because, as you can imagine, he had absolutely no skills as a butler. It took him quite a bit of time to understand me, my needs and my behavior. But now he is a professional butler of the Hellsing Organization. And he is also a professional occult geek. He knows more about vampires and werewolves than I do, and that has to mean something. He spends his free time researching these things, you know. He is also our record-keeper."

"Hm… he sounds much like…"

"Walter, yes," Integra sighed, "I even call him that time to time. After he found out who Walter was, he even offered me that he would learn Walter's mannerisms and dress like him to make me feel better. I declined, of course… such a sweet man he is…"

"Humans are such sentimental beings, aren't they, Master? Even when it comes to people who have betrayed them," Alucard spoke dryly, "But can we trust him?"

"Three separate intelligence agencies have investigated his entire life history down to the kindergarten, and not even a trace of anything suspicious was found."

"How about I "investigate" his blood?"

"Let's not push it this far, Alucard," Integra replied somewhat angrily.

"I'm just trying to be prudent, my Master."

"I know. But in this case we have been careful enough, trust me."

"I do, my Master. Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about it? As I understood, you were waiting for me."

"Yes, I was. I knew that you were going to come, so I was waiting."

"Hm… I see…"

"And I know what you wanted to ask me, and my answer it still no, Alucard."

"Why not, Master? You are still a virgin…"

"How do you k… I mean, how dare you talk about those things with me!" she exclaimed

"Well, you are a king of woman who will never let anyone have you in any way," Alucard smirked.

"I suppose that much is true," Integra smiled and lighted a cigar, "But that doesn't matter. I just… I cannot do that…"

"I understand that you may have some human reasons, my Master, but don't other human reasons speak _for_ becoming a vampire? Don't you want to keep on living? Living around me… and around Seras. Remember, I have destroyed my entire world to come back to you two. Only you two are my world now. And Seras… judging by the fact that she has remained with Hellsing for thirty years, it only means that it has become her family as well. It has become her world. Seras and I may be monsters, but we do serve humankind, we do tend to human needs, and we have developed some sentimental needs of our own. I am speaking mostly for myself now, but I'm sure that Seras feels the same way. Without you… without Hellsing… our worlds would be gone as well. Do you understand what it is like to live for eternity around those who cannot do the same? I don't want to lose you, my Master… stay with me… with us… please."

Integra remained silent for a while, smoking and staring at her table.

"You have gone quite sentimental yourself, Alucard," she finally said, smiling sadly, "Listen. First of all, I am not dying yet, so don't speak as if I'm about to drop dead. Secondly, even if I did become a vampire through you drinking my blood, wouldn't that make you _my_ master?"

"Generally, yes. But not it this case. Since you were the one who revived my corpse, you will forever be my Master, and nothing can change that."

"All right, but what about my body then? A vampire's body forever remains looking like it did on the day when it became vampiric, doesn't it? I will look like an old woman, won't I?"

"If you don't like your own looks, Master, you will be able to change them. I can make myself look any way I want, but I do prefer this one because you and Seras are used to it. It might take some time, though, before you learn how to change your looks, but once you understand how to do it – you will be able to. But I would like to say, my Master, that you have always looked perfect to me."

"I'm glad to hear that, Alucard," Integra smiled, "And what about my mind? Won't I feel myself an old woman?"

"If that is what you wish. Vampire's mind, just like body, never ages. It is entirely up to you how old you want to feel yourself."

"Hm…" Integra muttered ponderingly, "You are pulling me into a very tough bargain, Alucard. All right, I'm going to give it a serious consideration, I promise. But many things have changed, you know. After Millennium invaded London thirty years ago, the existence of vampires and other supernatural beings has become much more accepted. The governments around the world tried to suppress the information and fool the masses into believing some ridiculous excuses, and it worked for the most part – but we are not alone in this anymore. Vatican and Hellsing are no longer the only ones that deal with problems of occult nature. Around the world, there are quite a few of Hellsing-wannabe organizations. They are mostly private and made of enthusiasts, although some of them do employ vampires and werewolves. Of course, none of those organizations have been able to come even close to Hellsing's magnitude – largely because we have Seras. According to Bennett's research of occult enthusiast clubs and communities around the world, Seras is considered to be among the most powerful existing vampires. Hard to believe, isn't it? Especially if you remember what she was. A police girl at some God-forsaken village…"

"Hard to believe – yes. Hard to understand – not in the least," Alucard smiled, "Her past alone was capable of awakening a monster in her. But then there is more to add to that. First, it was _her_ choice to become a vampire; she didn't give up and die, she wanted to go on. Second, _I _was the one who turned her - not some low-grade pathetic accident who was destined to become a ghoul but turned out to be a virgin and therefore got a pair of fangs and over-inflated sense of self-entitlement. Third, she drank from a man who offered her his blood. Taking blood by force and having blood offered are very different experiences, and they bear very different consequences. I am very proud of how far she has come. I wonder if I should ever call her police girl again. For sentimental reasons only, perhaps."

"That mercenary captain was the only person from whom she ever drank. She drinks only medical blood now. She says that she wants nobody else blending in with her essence."

"And she is right. As beneficial as it may be, it may also cause you to lose yourself. I had to find that out the hard way. And then I had to spend thirty years destroying my own world and trying to find myself again. I have to be careful from now on with who I decide to blend my essence with. The safest thing would be killing the essence of my victim inside me every time after I had a bite to drink. Or I may just switch to medical blood as well. Which reminds me, I'm hungry."

"Unless you're implying that you want _my_ blood again, I will ask Bennett to bring you some. And on that note, there is something else that I need to present you with."

"Oh?"

"A welcome home gift. Bennett, would you mind bringing Alucard his present? And a few pints of blood for Alucard as well, please."

Slightly confused, Alucard looked around the table and then around the entire room. There was nothing on Integra's desk that could pass for a transmission device of any kind. She didn't appear to have moved a muscle while making a request. Was the butler standing by the door?

"How is going to hear you, Master?" Alucard finally asked.

"Oh, there is a great deal of new technology that you will need to get used to, Alucard," Integra smirked, "It's been thirty years after all. But if you think about it, it is not that much. The progress seems to be slowing down. Human beings are only capable of this much, I assume. But this room, just as most of the others in the mansion, is equipped with microphones and micro-cameras all over the place. There are ways in which I can turn them on and off at any time. The signals are transmitted live to various control and security rooms around the facility."

"How interesting," Alucard grinned, "Humans readily give up so much privacy for security."

"No so much for security but rather for data. We can go back to the records at any time and analyze everything that we may find suspicious. Who went where, when and how. Who talked to whom and what was being said. Useless chatter today may turn out to be a clue to something tomorrow. You never know. Bennett holds copies all the records and spends hours working with them. Not because I ask him but because he likes doing that. And as far security goes, haven't you realized until this point that the entire mansion is enveloped with Seras's shadow?"

"Of course it is. Once again, I find it quite impressive how far she has come. That shadow wouldn't protect against me, though…"

"Nothing will protect against you," Integra smirked, "But why would I need protection against you? Do I need to be afraid of you, Count?"

"Not in the least, Master. It's just a thought. Just a playful thought. I am a monster, after all… So, you have a gift for me? What is it? I'm excited."

"You will find out soon enough."

At that moment, the door opened, and Bennett walked in, carrying a small black case by the handle.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I presume that you still have your old pistol, mister Alucard," Bennett said, setting the case on Integra's desk, "According to the existing Hellsing records, which I analyzed, its firepower is well beyond adequate, even to this day. But Sir Integra and I thought that you would want your other pistol back as well, so I've made the necessary arrangements and had it reconstructed in accordance to blueprints that Hellsing had on file…"

"How thoughtful, my Master," Alucard grinned, looking at Integra, "Thank you."

"…however, mister Alucard," Bennett continued, "I've also taken the liberty to authorize some adjustments, and I based my reasoning on the current developments of the anti-vampire technology, as well as on my own ideas."

"Really?" Alucard asked dryly, "The last time my pistol had some unspecified _adjustments_ based on the ideas of its maker, it exploded in my hand when I wanted to shoot the bastard…"

"Alucard, stop it!" Integra exclaimed.

"No, it's perfectly fine, Sir Integra," Bennett smiled, "Mister Alucard is just trying to be careful. And it does confirm our speculations from thirty years ago, I suppose."

"Yes, yes, it does," Integra nodded, throwing angry glances at Alucard, "You see, Alucard, back then we gathered all the evidence that we could find from the battle scene – which was pretty much the entire city at that point. We found pieces of your pistol, and when Seras recalled that Walter was the one who gave it to you, we assumed that…"

"Unfortunately, all the clues come together only when the main secret is revealed, don't they?" Alucard smirked, "Back then he also gave Seras her Harkonnen cannon. Her reaction was so amusing that I didn't bother asking myself a real question – where there any objectives as that time that required the use of such weapon? And there weren't any. And the next thing we knew – the mansion was invaded by an army of ghouls. But Seras already had her cannon, and Walter had been miraculously "brought up to speed with the situation," despite that he had been with us the whole time."

"Yes, we also thought of that afterwards," Integra nodded and sighed, "We have gone through all of our records and memories. But an afterthought is just an afterthought. It didn't help us travel back in time, stop Millenium and bring you back, so why boggle your mind now, after thirty years? Either way, this time it is different, and you can take _my_ word for it."

"Right you are, Sir Integra," Bennett said, "Because, you see, mister Alucard, I personally took no part whatsoever in making your pistol – aside from providing the blueprints to our weapon-making division. And I would like to inform you that Hellsing has enhanced their security measures quite a bit after what happened regarding Walter. With it comes to manufacturing of our weapons, Hellsing now utilizes a five-stage process. During the first stage, the blueprints, regardless of whether they come from me or our firearms expert team, get analyzed for functionality, logical and technical flaws. The analysts are among the best firearms experts in England, and I can assure you that they don't miss anything. If the blue prints pass, they go the second stage, and the manufacturing of parts takes place in accordance with the blue prints. The parts are manufactured by an unrelated team of our firearms experts. Successfully manufactured parts are then transferred to a third team of experts, who conduct various tests, including chemical and x-ray, in order to determine if there are any defects, potential hazards or signs of foul-play. After that, during the forth stage, another team of experts assembles the weapon and conducts extensive firing test in all possible conditions, including under-water, severe cold and extreme heat. Depending on the weapon and its weight, of course, test-firing may be done with the use of other machines. Your pistol and miss Victoria's latest rocket launcher are examples of weapons that require additional machinery for testing…"

"A rocker launcher? Really?" Alucard grinned.

"Yes, a rocket launcher. Miss Victoria has proven herself to be a big fan of large weapons, despite the fact that there fortunately have been too few occasions that required their use. But let me back on the topic, if I may, mister Alucard. So, after the weapon has been test-fired, it is disassembled, and the parts are once again analyzed with the use of various tests to ensure that the natural use of the weapon did not create any changes or hazards within its structure. Finally, during the fifth stage, the weapon is assembled again by yet another team of experts, tested for functionality and dispatched to the Hellsing headquarters. Regardless of the size of the weapon, is dispatched in a bulletproof, fireproof and waterproof case, which has a three-level digital security lock. Three separate members of the expert team input three pass-codes separately, and the pass-codes are then distributed personally by those members to Sir Integra, miss Victoria, and myself. With that said, I think it would be fairly safe to assume that if you, mister Alucard, intended to shoot anyone who was in any way responsible for production and handling of your pistol, including myself, you would be perfectly capable of doing that."

"I'm starting to like you, Bennett," Alucard chuckled, "But seriously, at this point I think that I would rather have my arm blown off again than have such headache of a process."

"I'm glad to hear that, but with all due respect, mister Alucard, human engineering hasn't come to the point where humans can grow back their severed limbs right on the spot," Bennett replied softly with a smile of his face, "Out of the entire Hellsing organization, you and miss Victoria are the only ones who can do that. Although, over the years it has become clear to me that she is be perfectly satisfied with her condition, and she has never tried to change it."

"That's because it perfectly suits her looks," Alucard grinned, "After all, just like me, she a monster. A very good-looking monster, but a monster nevertheless."

"Why, thank you, Master! I'm sure that it was meant to be a compliment!"

Alucard looked over his shoulder to see Seras appearing from the wall. At the same time, he smiled amusedly, noticing that Integra and Bennett shuddered instinctively because of her sudden arrival. He was feeling her getting closer, and his last words were indeed meant to be a compliment that she could hear.

"Good evening, miss Victoria. And have I not asked you million times not to do that," Bennett said calmly.

"Not quite, Bennett," Seras replied teasingly, "By this point, it has only been about forty thousand times. I have been keeping track, you know."

"Which would amount for about four times a day, if my on-the-spot calculations are correct."

"Yeah, sounds about right," Seras giggled, "But I just woke up feeling that the perimeter of Sir Integra's office was being crossed multiple times, and I became concerned. And flowing through my shadow from the sub-basement to here is much quicker than any other way I can think of. Good evening to everybody, by the way. Master, Sir Integra and to you, Bennett."

"It amazes me how even after thirty years you can come up with a fresh excuse, Seras," Integra smirked, "But is so happens that you are right on time. Bennett was just about to show Alucard his new pistol…"

"Yes, miss Victoria, please, go ahead and enter your pass-code," Bennett said, beckoning .

Seras came out of the wall completely, walked to Integra's desk and touched the case. A touch-pad appeared on the surface of the case, and she entered a series of letters and numbers.

"All done."

"Thank you, miss Victoria, now it's my turn," Bennett said and leaned towards the case.

As he entered his pass-code, he slid the case on the surface of the table closer to Integra.

"And now you, Sir Integra, if you may."

After she input the last pass-code, the case opened by itself, revealing the contents.

"May I present to you, mister Alucard, the reincarnation of the 'Jackal,'" Bennett said, "A thirteen-millimeter anti-vampire combat pistol. As I have said already, I authorized some adjustments, and the first one is the material. This pistol is made almost entirely out of the heaviest and the sturdiest titanium alloy. Fully loaded, it weighs a little over twenty-five kilograms. If anything, you can just maul your opponent with it, if you don't feel like shooting. Secondly, the ammunition. The rounds are thirteen-millimeter explosive shells made of pure Macedonian silver and filled with silver nitrate. This chemical compound is an explosive by itself, as you know, and thus it provides more explosive power, along with extra silver. Hence, both the firepower and deadliness are increased, compared to what you had before. In addition, I took the liberty of ordering another kind of rounds to be made. In these rounds, a portion of silver nitrate within the shells has been replaced with silver cyanide. As you know, cyanide is one of the deadliest poisons ever known. Although bodies of vampires differ quite a bit from human bodies in physiological sense, both are complex, living, biological systems. Cyanide attacks life on the most basic level. Whether in human or vampiric body, it is capable of destroying the key processes of life within. And that means that the body is rendered useless as a container for the soul, human or vampiric. However, you might want to take that with a grain of salt, because it is only my speculation. Throughout my research of existing occult and monster-hunting literature, I have never seen silver cyanide mentioned even once. Furthermore, it is widely believed that vampires and other monsters are immune to poisons, but I highly doubt that."

"And you are right," Alucard smirked, "There is no such thing as an immortal. Rumors like that are created either by people who are scared of monsters or by the monsters themselves. Most of the monsters in this world are afraid of death even more than humans. If you were afraid to die, wouldn't you want others to think that there were no ways to kill you?"

"Exactly," Bennett nodded, "So, consider this a test, if you will, mister Alucard. If it doesn't work, you can always use your regular rounds. But if it does, then you may find some benefits in it. Nothing that you shoot must ever get up. But if it somehow does – it won't stand for long. Power or stealth – sometimes it is just a matter of choice, but at other times it is a matter of situation."

" How interesting, Bennett," Alucard grinned, "I already feel that there is much more to you than a professional geek. A jackal or a viper, eh? I like it."

He took the pistol and studied it closely, while Seras kept curiously looking at it from the side.  
"Wow, Master, that is an awesome pistol!"

"Should I be offended, miss Victoria?" Bennett asked in a sarcastic tone, "Last month, when I presented you with your rocket launcher, which is programmable and has heat-seeking option, by the way, I only heard 'Thank you, Bennett.' Wasn't it amazing too?"

"Well, it wasn't that sophisticated. And this is so… artful. Can't you make anything artful for me?"

"Well, miss Victoria, I have told you many times before that the more firepower a weapon has, the less craftiness it needs. And you only ask for rifles, cannons and, lately, rocket launchers. How did you expect your rocket launcher to be craftier than it already is? Should I have asked sleeping powder to be packed into the warheads? So that just before the enemies get blown to pieces, they fall asleep? Honestly, sometimes I think that you would be better off born as a tank or a battleship."

"All right, that's enough, Seras, Bennett!" Integra interrupted, trying very hard not to burst in laughter.

"It is an odd feeling," Alucard smiled, "Things have changed so completely and yet, at the same time, they have barely changed at all. I have a great deal of catching up to do, don't I? And speaking of catching up… Bennett?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"I need something from you."

"Anything within my and Hellsing's power, Sir."

"Compile me a list of the main historical events and technological advances for the past thirty years. Anything that you think I should be aware about. No rush, thought. I just want to be on the same page. I could have done the catching up another, quicker way, but considering how it risky it may be in my condition, I'd rather not."

"I will get right on that, mister Alucard," Bennett nodded in acknowledgement.

"Perfect. Now, where is my dinner?"

"In the dining room, of course. And, miss Victoria…"

"Yes?" Seras looked curiously at Bennett.

"I have taken the liberty to fetch a portion for you as well. It is also in the dining room."

Looking over his shoulder, Alucard noticed that Seras's face expression suddenly changed. She lowered her head meekly and sighed.

"Oh… thank you, Bennett. You are so thoughtful…" she muttered.

"On the days when I forget to remind you, you gladly skip your meals, miss Victoria," he replied in a coaching tone.

"Cut it out already!" she retorted and hastily left them room.

"Not until you start doing the proper thing…"

She didn't respond and walked briskly down the hallway. "Not until you start doing the proper thing, miss Victoria… you must drink blood like a normal vampire, miss Victoria," she kept whispering angrily to herself, imitating Bennett, "Just who does he think he is, embarrassing me like that in front of both of them? It was bad enough when it was just Sir Integra, and now Master, too…"

"What about the Master?"

Seras shuddered as she realized that Alucard was walking by her side.

"M-master!"

"I can be anywhere I want to be, remember. And about embarrassment… well, the person who can embarrass you the most is yourself. Don't worry though, because I thought nothing of what happened back there. Somehow, I expected that. I take it that, after thirty years, despite everything that you have come through, you are still reluctant to drink blood, aren't you, Seras?"

"Y-yes," she replied softly and looked to the side.

"Why?"

"I… I don't know. I guess, I have never gotten used to the idea that I have to drink something that comes from humans just so I can keep on living. I drank from captain Bernadotte because I was desperate, and there was nothing else that I could do… But in daily life… drinking blood to satisfy my hunger… When humans are hungry, they…"

"They eat something that doesn't come from a human, that's right," Alucard said gravely, "They eat something that comes from another species that were once alive. From rice and potatoes to duck and beef – all of that was once alive. Humans take all those things from nature, appropriate them and merely turn them into food so that they can turn it into shit later! How is us drinking human blood for food any different? Who said that humans were superior to everyone and everything else in this world? God? I am among those who have seen God's ambitions, and believe me, Seras, there is nothing grand about them! And besides, that is medical blood that we are talking about. It doesn't even come from humans who die. It comes from humans who willingly give it away. To me, drinking such blood is far less disgusting than eating a piece of veal, for which a newborn calf had been slaughtered!"

Seras sighed and didn't respond, taken aback but that sudden revelation coming from her Master. Seeing how his words affected her, Alucard smirked.

"You have quite a bit of a human left in you, even after all these years, don't you, Seras?"

Before she could reply, however, he added quickly:

"Good. Hold on to it. It doesn't do you any harm, but losing it might as well…"

She looked at him and smiled thankfully. They continued walking in silence until they reached the dining room. On the table, there were a couple of blood packs on a plate and two large goblets. Alucard quickly emptied one of the packs into his goblet and gulped it.

"Ah… That should do… I might as well start getting used to that," he said, "The 'O-negative' type doesn't carry any particular flavor, but I cannot be picky here, it still gets the job done."

He was about to empty another pack into the goblet but then he noticed that Seras hadn't even opened hers yet. She realized that he saw her hesitation and looked at him – only to meet his stare.

"Do it."

"W-what?"

"Do it, Seras!" he repeated assertively, "Open the pack, pour it down your goblet, and then drink it."

"B-but I…"

"Do it! I want to see you drink it. Now! Go on!" He demanded.

Looking at him, she cut-opened the pack. Her human hand was shaking slightly as she was pouring the blood down her goblet, and she even spilled a little of it on the table. Unable to stop the trembling in her human hand, she took the goblet with her shadow hand and slowly lifted in up to her mouth. She instinctively retracted her lips when the cold glass touched them.

"Go on!" Alucard repeated, pressuring her.

She was feeling his stare as if it was piercing her through. She titled the goblet and let the blood run down her mouth. She swallowed once… twice… three times. The blood kept getting stuck in her throat, but she continued drinking, looking straight into his eyes. At that point, the idea of drinking blood was not the problem. Nor was the taste. The taste has never been a problem ever since she drank from Integra's purposely-cut finger thirty years ago. The problem now was his stare. She knew that she had nothing to be afraid of, but his stare was somehow making her feel that if she stopped drinking even for a moment, something terrible would happen. She forced the rest down her throat, put the goblet on the table and then exhaled and inhaled several times, trying to catch her breath. Drinking blood out of a goblet has never been so difficult before. A wide grin appeared on Alucard's face.

"Now, _that_ was embarrassing, wasn't it, Seras?"

She looked down and didn't respond.

"I'm not trying to mock you, Seras, I'm just trying to get you to think. Do humans act that way when they eat pork chops or a bowl of soup? No. Because that's _their_ food, and they eat it to stay alive. _Our_ food is blood, and we drink it for exactly the same reason. Do you understand me, Seras?"

"Y-yes, Master."

"Good. Now that I have returned, you will need to start drinking your share of blood every day. Do you understand me, Seras?"

"I… Yes, Master," she replied softly.

"Otherwise we will have to go through this every day."

"W-what? No! Please, Master, don't! We don't have to!" she exclaimed.

"Then you need to do it yourself," Alucard smirked.

"I promise, Master."

"Good. And do work on your precision, all right?"

"W-what?"

Before Seras could realize what Alucard meant by that, he brought his hand to her face, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, and then licked it off.

"It is always the last drop that it most delicious," he said with a smile.

Seras smiled shyly in return. Suddenly, Integra's echoing voice came from the tiny speakers built into the walls and the ceiling.

"Alucard, Seras, I need you in my office right away!"

"Oh, what do you know, it's a déjà vu. I get a new gun, and right away all the hell breaks loose," Alucard said in a sarcastic tone and headed for the office, "Let's go, Seras."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Entering Integra's office, Alucard found her and Bennett right where he left them.

"Seras and I have already had a drink, and you two are still here, like exhibitions in the National Museum," he smirked, "And why does the situation seem so familiar? I get my gun, and immediately…"

"Alucard, stop it!" Integra raised her voice, "It is not like that. I've had this request for assistance from the police for more than an hour. I just didn't want to feed you the desert before your main course."

"That doesn't sound a like a good desert, Master. A request for assistance that can easily wait for a hour."

"Well, I didn't say that it could _easily_ wait, but it could wait," Integra smiled, "Besides, I've been trying for years to make the chief of police understand that our job is not to do their job. So, let them wait a little a figure that out once again."

"Which brings me to the question, since when does Hellsing casually helps the police?" Alucard asked apathetically.

"Did somebody say 'police'?" Seras wondered loudly, entering the office, "Sir Integra, please tell me that it's not another 'quick-kill!'"

"It would appear so, Seras," Integra nodded and sighed.

"Oh, come on! I'm sick to my stomach of them already!"

"Seras, we have discussed that many times before. We are on His Majesty's direct budged, and therefore we are obliged to help public agencies."

"All right, what is going on? I'm getting impatient," Alucard said irritably.

"Well, as I have already told you, Alucard, things have changed," Integra replied, "Vampirism is much more widespread nowadays than it was thirty years ago. The Government, of course, has been managing quite successfully to keep the clueless majority in the dark, but it is common these days to have vampires commit regular, _human_ crimes. Any mugger on the street can turn out to be a vampire, looking for victims not only to feed on, but also to steal from. Although, to be fair, most of them are at least clever enough to ensure that they leave no ghouls walking around after their assaults. Naturally, most public safety agencies now have some kind of anti-vampire tactical unit or similar nonsense. But, as you can as well imagine, they are pretty useless when it comes to the real thing, because most people, including those on the police force, are afraid to deal with supernatural. And since the existence of Hellsing is not a top secret anymore… well, you get the picture. Dealing with such police day-to-day garbage takes up a significant portion of our time. Luckily, Seras has been managing alone quite well. Still, we're very happy to have you back, Alucard – in general sense and as Hellsing's agent. But I'm sorry to tell you that you will be dealing with even dirtier garbage than you have before."

"It doesn't matter what I am going to be dealing with, Master," Alucard replied reverently and bowed his head, "As always, your word is my command."

"See, Seras," Integra smirked, "Why can't you be so obedient?"

"Well, technically, you are my Master's Master," Seras replied teasingly.

"You didn't have a problem with me being your Master while Alucard was gone. You're such a turncoat, Seras," Integra grinned, "Anyway, according to the report, the customers and the staff of the National Bank have been taken hostage by a group of vampires. Apparently, they attempted to rob it, but were unable to escape in time. The bank is now surrounded by the police, and the robbers are threatening to turn everyone inside into ghouls…"

"Really?" Alucard smirked, "Is that how much the society has degraded over the past thirty years? Do pathetic _accidental_ vampires now behave like that? Well, it would be a truly great pleasure for me to destroy this scum, my Master."

"Not so fast, Alucard," Integra said, "The objective is as follows: the robbers, whether they turn out to be vampires or not, are to be killed. No bystanders, whether they turn out to be humans or vampires, are to be harmed. Minimal visual contact with anyone other than the robbers is a priority. I'm tired of hearing on the news excuse after excuse created by the media to explain altercations between vampires and humans. It's pathetic how much they are eager to lower themselves in order to keep the public in the dark. The most popular excuse nowadays is 'the rise of cannibalism.' Can you believe that? Well, the majority apparently does believe that. So, just make sure that you show yourself to as few humans as possible. It is up to you how you manage. Finally, and that mostly goes for you, Seras, the building must remain functional. Meaning that…"

"Yeah, yeah," Seras teased, "No heavy weaponry. Can I at least take my assault rifle?"

"Fine, I'll allow it," Integra sighed, "Even though you won't really need it, or so I think. If there are no questions, off you go. It shouldn't take you more than half hour, and then we can get to more serious stuff."

"Then by your orders, Master, " Alucard bowed his head before Integra and then looked at Seras over his shoulder, "If the National Bank is where it used to be, then I will meet you on the roof whenever your are there, Seras."

"Yes, Mas… huh? Not fair, Master!" she exclaimed, watching Alucard disappear in thin air.

Trying not to be outdone, she quickly walked into the wall and vanished in it.

When Alucard appeared on the roof of the National Bank, he ducked immediately, expecting the news helicopter to be over his head – but there wasn't any. The ability to be anywhere he wanted was very convenient but had several limitations. He had to know exactly where he wanted to be and he had to be able to imagine the place before appearing there. There was absolutely no way for him to know beforehand what to expect. He carefully walked over to the edge and looked down. The square was flooded with police vehicles, and the flickering lights were reflecting of everything around. He backed away to the middle of the roof and just stood there, waiting. Several minutes later, a shadow suddenly dropped from the sky before him, and Seras appeared from it, standing up, holding her rifle.

"You are slow, Seras. I could have already killed them all myself," Alucard smirked.

"It is not fair, Master, no matter how fast I can fly, you can just _be_ where you want to be," she smiled.

"Now, wait here, Seras, I will be right back."

He slowly sank down through the roof, leaving Seras alone. She examined her rifle to make sure that everything was all right, and then unlocked the safety. She didn't realize that Alucard appeared behind her until she heard him exhale. She shuddered instinctively and turned around quickly, pointing the rifle at him – only to realize that he was already holding the barrel, pushing it away from himself.

"Stay alert, Seras," he said, "You can get killed easily if you lose focus like that. Now, listen. There are five of them down there, four men and one woman. They have taken the first two floors, and the three upper ones are empty. There are also twenty-seven humans total. I will take the second floor, there are three of them there, and you drop down to the first and finish off the other two. Directly under us there are bathrooms, so you can sneak in safely and proceed from there. Just be sure not to drop in the toilet. Are we clear on the plan?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"I will see you soon. It may actually be fun," he grinned, "Now, all this may not seem like much, but do be careful, Seras."

"I will, Master. But there shouldn't be much to it, as you say."

"We will see… But seriously, I would have rather busted in through the door or the window…"

Keeping the wide grin on his face, he sank through the roof again. Seras took a deep breath, as if she was about to dive, and sank through the roof as well. As she landed on the bathroom floor, she jumped onto the ceiling right away and hung there, holding the rifle in her shadowy arm. She heard Alucard's steps right above her. She thought for a moment that it would be fun to stick her head through the ceiling so that he could see her, but then decided against that. However ordinary situation seemed, it still was no laughing matter. Then she realized that they had not discussed any specific details whatsoever. When she was completing missions alone, she did whatever she wanted and how she wanted it. But now with Alucard involved, she didn't know how to proceed. Who was supposed to go first? And when? She decided to wait for a little bit, trying to figure out by the sound of his steps what he was about to do. Alucard, however, standing only about fifteen centimeters above her, did not hesitate. He approached the wall and entered into it – not to pass through but only so that he could see what was on the other side, without anyone else in the room seeing him.

In the room, the hostages were crouching on the floor and looking down, and the three robbers were circling around the room with the semi-automatic pistols in their hands. All three were wearing black masks. The woman (Alucard assumed by the long hair) was standing by the side of the window, carefully looking outside through it.

"We're in the shit here," she said angrily, "I told you, idiots, to hurry up, and you dragged your asses!"

"Hey, relax, sweetie, what are they going to do?" one of the guys replied, "Do you think they going to storm us? Well, if they do, we will at least have out last meal."

"Shut the hell up, it's not funny!" the woman retorted.

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do to shut me up, bitch?"

Observing the argument heating up, Alucard slowly and stealthily moved inside the wall towards the third robber, who appeared uninvolved in the conversation and was eyeing the hostages. His companions would lose sight of him if they began face-to-face altercation, and Alucard was waiting for the right time. In other situation, he would have already come out and shot all three of them dead, but he remembered Integra's orders. Finally, the woman moved away from the window and took several steps towards the robber with whom she was arguing. He responded by moving towards her. At that moment, Alucard partially came out of the wall, grabbed the other robber, closing his mouth, and then pulled him through the wall on the other side, along with his weapon. Everything happened so quickly that no one noticed anything. Once the two of them were in the bathroom, Alucard grabbed the guy by the throat and pulled the weapon out of his hand.

"Such a shame that your death has to be quick and easy," he said in half-voice, looking in the robber's terrified eyes, "To me, such a pathetic piece of shit like you deserves a slow, painful death. But I find secret enjoyment in someone else calling the shots for me."

Being suffocated, the robber was unable to make a sound. A third arm extended from Alucard's chest and pierced his opponent through the heart. The guy moaned quietly and disappeared in blue flames. A satisfied grin appeared on Alucard's face. He dropped the robber's weapon in the stall, pulled out this pistol and jumped onto the ceiling. All he needed to do now is wait.

One floor below, Seras realized that everything went into motion, but she still could figure out when it was going her time to take action. Unable to resist the temptation, she stuck her head through the ceiling. Right away, she saw a bloody stain on the wall.

"My God, that was quick…"  
"Seras, what are you doing?"

She looked up and saw Alucard hanging from the ceiling with his pistol drawn.

"Sorry, Master, I was just trying to see what was going on," she whispered.

"One down, two to go," Alucard replied sternly in half-voice, "Not much fun, really. You can commence as soon as I kill another one, which should be happening right about now. Your task is not here, Seras. It is down there. And however easy in may be, it is not a game, remember that."

"Yes, Master, sorry," she nodded and sank through the floor.

"Fearsome and playful, Seras. What a deadly combination, I love it," Alucard said to himself and grinned.

Meanwhile, behind the wall, the two robbers finally realized that their comrade was gone.

"Hey, where the hell is Richie?" the woman asked.

"How am I suppose to know, bitch?" the guy retorted, "Maybe he decided to take a leak while you were bitching around here!"

"Is he really such an idiot to just decide and go in the middle of this? Go check!"

"Well, fine, if it takes you to shut you damn mouth!"

The robber turned around the corner and entered the bathroom. He immediately noticed the blood on the wall.

"What a f… Hey, Adriana, come here now! There is som…"

At that moment he realized that somebody was standing behind him. He quickly turned around and saw Alucard. He struck the robber in the forehead violently with his pistol, crushing the guy's scull. Right then, directly under them, Seras understood that it was the time to make her move. She hit the wall with the butt of her assault rifle to draw attention from the adjacent room. In there, two robbers were supposed to be holding the remaining hostages, according to what she understood from Alucard's 'heads-up.' As one of the robbers walked into the bathroom and started looking around, Seras quickly extended a projection from her shadowy arm and snatched the weapon of the guy's hands. Taken aback, he looked up and saw her aiming the assault rifle at him.

"Such a fun toy you have," she smirked, "But big toys are for big boys."

She shot him repeatedly in the head and chest. Because her rifle had a silencer attached, she could hear the metallic sound of cartridge casings falling down the floor. That sound always excited her. As the robber's mangled body dropped down like a meat sack and caught in blue flames, Seras grinned in satisfaction and jumped down. At that point, she was just waiting for the other one to show up so that she could finish him off on the spot and leave the clueless and scared hostages for the police to handle. 'Quick kill' was all that was for her, just one of the many side missions like that.

Above her, Alucard was doing essentially the same thing – waiting. With two of the three robbers gone, he didn't have to worry about the hostages anymore and could shoot as much as he wanted at the female robber as soon as she entered. The hostages would be able to hear the shooting, of course, but all the evidence would have been gone long before any of them decided to go in there. At that point, most of them would have had probably already relieved themselves right on the spot anyway. That thought made Alucard grin. He heard the sound of footsteps and raised his pistol, excited from anticipation.

When the female robber walked into the bathroom and found herself staring down the barrel of his pistol, she dodged with unexpected agility and immediately went through the wall, into one of the adjacent rooms. Alucard was dazzled for a moment.

"How interesting," he said with a smirk, "I was starting to get bored."

He went through the wall and found himself in a tiny storeroom. The female robber was also there.

"Surprised?"

He took a shot and hit her in the stomach, but she quickly jumped into the wall in order to make it to the next adjacent room.

"I'm starting to like this!" Alucard exclaimed excitedly, "Fine, I'll play alone. You can hide, and I will seek!"

He proceeded through the wall into the next room and found himself barraged with bullets. He quickly turned his body into mist and avoided most of the damage. He then fired several rounds himself, but they hit the wall as the woman skipped into the next room. They continued such leapfrogging throughout the entire floor – offices, storerooms and hallways – leaving behind nothing but cartridge casings and bullet holes in the walls. They finally reached the end of the floor and found themselves in a long hallway, standing face-to-face and pointing their weapons at each other. Both of them knew that the building was ending there, and that on the other side of the wall was just the outdoors.

"Excellent, I like a good fun! Your abilities are impressive! But there is nowhere else to run anymore," Aculard grinned, "So, what are you going to do now?"

In response, the woman fired the remaining rounds at Alucard and, to his great surprise, jumped into the wall. Remembering Integra's orders, Alucard carefully merged into the wall in order to see what was happening on the other side, without being seen himself. Because that particular side of the building had no exists and just a few windows, thus allowing little possibility for escape, there were only two police cars parked nearby.

"Did you see that!?" one officer exclaimed, "Someone just came out of the wall and turned into a bird or something."

"It was a bat, you idiot," the other officer responded, "That was a vampire. I took those anti-vampire tactics classes a while ago. They even wanted me to be in the unit. I told them to go screw themselves. I'm not dealing with this shit. It's enough that I have to deal with murderers, gangsters and whores. But bloodsuckers – I'm not getting paid nearly enough to do that."

"Hell yeah, fuck that! So, what are we going to report? That was probably one of the suspects."

"Report? Are you kidding? I didn't see anything, and you didn't either, got that? We will get our asses nailed if the chief finds out that we let the suspect escape, even if he was a vampire. As far as he is concerned, the suspect could have been an alien, and we would still be expected to risk our lives to get him. Besides, that probably means that those Hellsing freaks are clearing up the building now, and they have smoked this one out. Our boys will soon storm the building and claim another successful operation for the department. That's how things go nowadays. I know that you are new to this, but trust me, even on this job, it's often better to look the other way and not ask questions. The nosy ones don't make it till the pension."

"All right, I didn't see anything."

Alucard gritted his teeth. Such ending to the exciting chase was both disappointing and insulting to his self-esteem. That vampire woman was not supposed to be a target that he could to lose. When he rose through the roof, Seras was sitting on the floor, pretending to be bored.

"I didn't think that you would take _that_ long, Master," she grinned, "Is everything clear?"

"Yes," Alucard replied apathetically, looking past her.

"Sir Interga, tell the commanding police staff that the building is clear," Seras spoke into her microphone.

"Roger, Seras," she heard Integra's voice in her earpiece.

Only then she noticed that Alucard's face was angry.

"What's wrong, Master?"

"She escaped," he replied sternly.

"Oh…"

"I underestimated her a little bit and gave myself more room for playing with her than I should have…"

"Hm… I see… well, Master, I think that it's all. She will show up somewhere in the future," she said encouragingly, trying to make him feel better.

"It is not all right for me. I'll see you at the headquarters, Seras."

Flying over a large park, Adriana was trying to pull all her vampiric powers into healing her wound. She knew that silver was involved, because she felt that the wound wasn't healing as quickly as she expected. She didn't know that at that moment a group of hooded figures was eyeing her from the roof of a nearby building.

"There she is, Eye," one of them said.

"I'm not blind," another one responded.

"Well, technically, you are."

The rest chuckled at that comment. The one who was referred to as 'Eye' removed his hood, revealing his blindfolded face.  
"You will never understand, idiots," he shook his head and sighed, "I don't even know what I'm doing hanging around the likes of you. Human eyes are just a pathetic excuse for an organ of vision. That it is why I cut mine out more than a hundred years ago. Just so I never had to see through them again. Vampires using human eyes… pathetic! I've learned to use the _third eye _to the point where I only miss where I want to."

"All right, all right, I got it! You're freaking Robin Hood of modern times, happy now? Now shoot her before she gets away!"

"I said, I only miss when I want to," Eye repeated, "Besides, I'm not trying to kill her, I just want to down her. It's much easier to have a meaningful conversation with something who can say something."

At that moment, a _third eye _appeared on his forehead, shining through the blindfold. In his hands he was holding a device, which turned out to be a compacted modernized crossbow. He quickly put it together, charged it and loaded a bolt with a silver tip. He then raised the crossbow, took a second or two to aim, pulled the trigger – and the bolt whizzed away.

"Go find her. I'll be there shortly."

"Sure, Eye, we're on it."

Watching three hooded figures running towards the fire exit, Eye shook his head in embarrassment and sighed. He then slowly walked off the roof and dropped on the ground, safely landing on his feet.

"They call themselves vampires. What a pathetic bunch."

Feeling sudden, piecing pain in her wing, Adriana could no longer stay airborne and started falling. She decided not to change into her normal form because that would make the effects of smashing onto the ground far more damaging. She managed to stir herself into foliage of one of the nearby trees in order to break the fall – and succeeded. The leaves slowed her down quite a bit before she hit the ground. As she slowly regained her normal appearance, she looked at her arm and saw it bleeding on both sides. She smirked, apparently understanding what just happened, and then looked around. As she saw three hooded figures approaching her, she stood up, swaying from side to side, trying to maintain balance.

"Hey-hey-hey, look who we have here!" one of the vampires exclaimed.

"It was so nice of you to come down and chat with us!" another said sarcastically and chuckled.

"There is nothing that I want to say to dogs like you," Adriana replied, "Where is he?"

"Oh, you know, just taking a walk under the moon. He likes that, you know. He will be here shortly. In the mean time, I would really like to play with you a little bit, but…"

As the vampire approached Adriana closer, she suddenly teleported right in front of him and quickly grabbed him by the neck.

"The is nothing that I want to say to dogs like you," she repeated, articulating every word, "And most certainly, if we were to play, _I_ would be the one playing with you, not the other way around. I may be wounded, but I could finish _you_ off before you know it. The only reason you're still alive is because Eye may be pissed off about losing his hounds, and when Eye is pissed off, he cannot talk straight. And if he I cannot talk straight, it will take a great deal of time for me to find out what the deal is, so I can tell him to shove it up his ass!"

"Such brave talk coming from you, Adriana. Let him go, or I'll plow a bolt right into your brainless head."

With his crossbow loaded, Eye appeared from behind the nearby bush.

"Did you hear that, bitch? You will have a bolt in your brainless head!" the vampire exclaimed, coughing and pulling back as Adriana released him.

She ignored the comment and leered at Eye.

"My father will hear about this, Eye!"

"I'm already pissing myself," he responded in a sarcastic tone, approaching her, "If I ended up dead every time I heard those words from you, I already would be… well, dead…"

"What the hell do you want now, Cyclops?" she retorted.

The three vampires snickered, but quickly stopped when Eye glanced at them over the shoulder.

"If I hear one more pointless sound from your three tonight, you will also get bolts shot through your sick sculls," he said indifferently, "Now, Adriana, we have already talked about you calling me that…"

"Fine, fine, how about Robin from the Hood?" she teased.

He teleported right in front of her and shoved her in the chest, throwing her against the tree.

"Just what the hell do you want?" she panted.

"All the usual, Adriana," she smiled, "I'm not asking for much. I'm just asking you to be smart as a vampire, that's all. I'm going to explain it to you one more time. There are two kinds of vampires. There are smart vampires and there are stupid vampires. Smart vampires enjoy their lives while making sure that they clean up after themselves – so that they don't piss off the others… like Hellsing, for example. And stupid vampires do just that. They have fun, and all hell breaks loose. And you know what happens then? All those crazy anti-vampire fanatics come out of their fantasy worlds to find some vampires and shove sticks up their asses. Most of those freaks aren't clever enough to reach the point where bother me, but when Hellsing shows up - I get really… really upset, if you know what I mean. And frankly, most of us, smart vampires, support me on that. We do not want to cross with Hellsing, but because of idiots like you we have to. Are you seriously a vampire, Adriana? You took four amateurs and tried to knock over the National Bank. By any chance, aren't you a ghoul? That would explain a lot. And then you try to threaten me with you father. Well, he is a powerful person, I admit that. But the reality is, Adriana, that he is back there in Chicago, and you are here, in London. If I want to kill you right now, can he save you? How is he going to find out who did that? He can't and he won't. I want no troubles with you father, Adriana, but I want even less troubles with Hellsing. Get the picture? If I have to kill you and possibly take shit from your father _later_, just so that I don't take a stick up my ass from Hellsing _tomorrow_ – what do you think I'm going to do, Adriana? Or are you just trying to provoke the situation here on purpose? Did you father put you up to this? Well, if he did, then I might just end you right now. I'm surprised, actually, that that kick-ass bitch Seras Victoria didn't end you today…"

"If you'd like to know, it wasn't her…"

"Oh really?" Eye teased, "Then who? Did grandma Integra need an adrenaline rush today? Did she scare you away, you pathetic exc…"

"It was a guy!" Adriana exclaimed angrily.

"A guy?" Eye sounded surprised, "What guy? Are you telling me that Hellsing got anti-vampire reinforcements? As if that kick-ass bitch Seras wasn't enough on her own. Who was that guy?"

"How should I know!? Sorry, I didn't want to take his time of shooting at me to ask his name! Some weirdo with a large pistol… dressed like a clown… a long maroon coat and a stupid hat with a brim. He was a vampire, too… he chased me through walls and everything… shot me with a silver bullet, perhaps… see, I'm still bleeding…"

Even with his face blindfolded, it was clear that Eye was taken aback.

"Could it be? So, after all these years," he finally said with a grin and chuckled, "Now, _that_ is something."

"What are talking about?" Adriana seemed confused.

"You _are_ a ghoul, aren't you?" Eye smirked, "A 'weirdo with a large pistol'… you have no idea, do you? Sure, why would you? You are an embarrassment, Adriana. I'm really doing you a kindness…"

"Hey, wha…"

Before she could finish, Eye pulled the trigger and shot a bolt into her head, and then watched her body collapse and disappear in blue flames. He then walked over to the ashes and picked up the bolt.

"What the hell did you do, Eye!? Her father will…"

"How will he know?" Eye smirked, "No body – no problem. That's one good thing about killing vampires. And by the way, if her father's dogs _do_ trace me along the way – you three would be the first to die, because I would assume that you had sold me out."

"Eye, we would never…"

"Damn right you wouldn't…"

"Still, what about that weirdo guy? Who is he?"

"You three are ghouls too, aren't you?" Eye grinned, "Well, that doesn't surprise me, actually. But I believe that we have some very interesting news… for a very interesting person."

On the next morning, somewhere in California, an automobile parked by the curve. A mustached man in a light long coat and hat got out of it and walked across the street to a black vehicle that was parked in the shade of a large billboard. As the man approached the car, the passenger on the front seat, apparently a security guard, got out of the car and greeted him.

"Good morning, mister Alhambra. Welcome back."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sitting in his chair in the basement, Alucard heard footsteps. He looked up and saw Bennett descending the stairs.

"May I, mister Alucard?"

"Of course," Alucard replied apathetically, "However, Bennett, as I understand, you must have studied the history of Hellsing, and you know where _my_ place is in it. And if so, I'm convinced that there should be at least one piece of information regarding my basement. It is my little world… my tiny kingdom within Hellsing. I don't appreciate anyone coming in here. I know when I'm needed, and I will come out myself."

"Certainly. I'm well aware of that," Bennett nodded slightly, smiling, "And I can promise you that something like this will not happen again unless absolutely necessary. However, I was hoping to talk to you about something important. Something that I truly wish could stay just between the two of us."

"Oh?"

"Well, first things first," Bennett approached the wine table and placed a stack of papers on it, "As to your request, I've compiled all the information concerning important technological developments and other events for the past thirty years. I have to warn you, however, that there may be nothing in there that you will find entertaining. In my opinion, progress beyond a certain point only leads to degradation of our species. Yet, we all disagree on where that point is. Now, I said that I wanted to talk to you about something important, and here it is. A seventeen-year-old youngster approached Hellsing's entrance thirty years ago. All he had was a suitcase of clothing. All he knew was that he wanted to dedicate his life to something worthwhile. To something for what his father gave his life – right there, at that very mansion. Not in his wildest dreams that boy could ever imagine at that point what he was signing himself up for. Nor he had the ability to make a firearm his best friend, like his father could. Still, he was determined. Thirty years have passed since that day, and today I, Bennett Warren Adler, stand before you, mister Alucard, and say that Hellsing is my home. I have given it everything I had, I have served it in every way I could, and I will continue doing so until the time I die. Over the past thirty years I've come to understand to the fullest how much you mean to Sir Integra and miss Victoria. I can feel and see their overwhelming joy with which you have filled them when you finally returned, mister Alucard. And that makes me very happy. And, even though I don't know at all, I'm happy to see you as well. All I'm trying to say, mister Alucard, is that I want you to be able to see me for who I am. I am fully aware about what happened with Walter. As Sir Integra mentioned earlier, we have studied all our existing records on him, we have analyzed all her existing memories about him. As you said back then, only after the fact it all comes together, but not before. I also understand that Walter's treason was among the things that indirectly lead you to lose yourself in your own world for thirty years. Hence, I understand that you can have all reasons in the world to suspect me of being a turncoat also, mister Alucard. Therefore, I'm here to offer myself to you for the ultimate interrogation."

He brought his other arm from behind his back. In his hand, he was holding a goblet, which he slowly put on the table. He then lifted his tie and, to Alucard's great surprise, pulled out a small sterling thin-blade dagger, which apparently had been skillfully concealed on the backside of the tie, perfectly fitting with its length and width. Then, without saying anything, he pressed the tip of the blade against his palm – and a thin stream of blood started slowly making its way down. Alucard curiously watched every detail of the process, especially the movement of the blood. As soon as the first drop fell in the goblet, he stood up.

"That's enough, Bennett," he said sternly, "I believe you. I do not feel any fear or readiness to die in you."

"Pardon me, mister Alucard?"

"Well, it's quite simple, actually," Alucard smirked, "You are standing before me, in my domain. You are offering yourself to me for the ultimate interrogation, as you said yourself. You must know that there is no way to cheat your way through the ultimate interrogation. And you also must know that I have never forgiven any traitor. That drop of your blood in the goblet is enough for me to read you like an open book. Yet, you're giving me more, and your body feels calm and full of life. All that means to me is that you know that your blood will tell me nothing for what I may decide to kill you. So, why continue? I believe you, Bennett. I need to say, however, that I'm getting more and more intrigued with your nature. You seem to have a few trump cards up you sleeve. Or up your tie…"

"Thank you, mister Alucard," Bennett smiled and nodded lightly, "As you know very well yourself, Hellsing is a very special place, where even a butler sometimes is expected to perform duties far beyond those that are outlined."

He pulled out a small handkerchief out of his sleeve, wiped the blade and his hand, and then hid the dagger within his tie again.

"Have you accomplished what you came here for, Bennett?"

"To the fullest, mister Alucard. I appreciate your understanding."

"Great. And for the future, Bennett."

"Yes?"

"I had to learn the hard way that every little, insignificant oddity may in fact be just one of the multitude of brushstrokes on a horrifying picture. Therefore, never again I will let anything suspicious escape my consciousness. With that being said, I now expect foul play in everything that doesn't make sense to me. And when I come across such a thing, I will question it right on the spot. I'm a monster, remember, so I don't concern myself with human etiquette. That means, of course, that I would have already found a way to interrogate you if I deemed you a threat. Your gesture was brave but unnecessary. I understand the whole point, however. It made you feel better, and that is why I allowed it. Keep in mind, though, that you don't need to prove yourself to me. If there were even a trace of suspicion in you, which I couldn't resolve for myself – you would have found out about it, and not in a pleasant way…"

"Yes, I thought that that was the case, but I didn't want to assume, sir."

"You were right to do that. And speaking of assuming, I assume that Seras is still asleep, because I'm not hearing her voice echoing in the walls yet…"

"Actually, sir, she has awaken quite a while ago," Bennet smirked, "And she immediately requested her daily portion of blood, which surprised me. Furthermore, she requested that I watched her consume it, claiming that she wanted me to be the 'witness.' It made me wonder…"

"Really?" Alucard grinned, "You have just answered a question that I was about to ask next."

"I presume that your arrival has influenced her, am I correct, sir?"

"Well, there was a little more to it, but let's keep it at that, shall we, Bennett? By any chance, you don't mind her asking you to be around when she drinks blood?"

"Not at all, sir."

"Good. Keep it up, then, if she needs it. Honestly, I expected more of a challenge in trying to make her drink blood every day. But that does make me feel better in a way. That means that I still hold my place in her life as her Master…"

"While I don't fully understand what you are referring to, mister Alucard, but I have tell you that for the past thirty years there have never been a day when miss Victoria hadn't mentioned you in some way," Bennett replied, "You appear to be the most important figure in her life. Although, considering her situation, that shouldn't be surprising. You are much more than just her Master."

"I know that. Likewise, she means much more to me than just a servant."

"That is not hard to figure out, either," Bennett smiled, "Well, I will be off now. I hope that you find the report that I have prepared for you to be somewhat useful."

The mustached man opened the back door and entered the vehicle, leaving the bodyguard standing outside.

"Good morning, Alejandro," he greeted the person inside and closed the door.

"Long time no see, Markus," the other man grinned, revealing his vampire fangs, "Welcome back to California. How is Boston treating you? Didn't you say that you were planning on moving back here?"

"Not fully decided yet, but it depends."

At that moment, the driver stepped outside the vehicle, closed the door and joined the bodyguard for a smoke.

"So, what's the deal, Alejandro?" Markus asked dryly, "I know that it is not like you to be out at this time of day. Nor it is like you to call me in the middle of the night. I took the very first flight I could book. It better be worth it, Alejandro."

"Wow, wow, man, what a harsh tone," Alejandro smirked, "Trust me, you are going to love it, I promise you."

"Well, get to it, then…"

"I've got news from the Eye. Guess who is back?"

"This better not be a joke," Markus said sternly, giving Alejandro a cold stare.

"Well, according to Eye, it went like this. Adriana – I believe you know who that is – attempted to knock over the National Bank in London. What a dumbass, really."

"So, it was her… I watched the news last night… The police reported that all the perpetrators were subdued and arrested when the building was finally stormed. Yet there was no footage of that. Because what they actually found was just…"

"Blood and bullet casings, yes. All the usual," Alejandro smirked, "Britain, States, Japan – it's all the same everywhere. Anti-vampire groups do the dirty work, and the authorities clear the case and claim the credit."

"So, Hellsing was on the scene…"

"Who else? England would never let anyone else handle things like that."

"And?"

"Well, it appears that Adriana was the only one who managed to escape. Then Eye got his hands on her… He says that she said that she was confronted by a 'weirdo guy,' a vampire in a dark red suit and a hat. With a big gun. So, unless Hellsing had a day of remembrance and decided to cosplay…"

"Alucard," Markus grinned excitedly, "Finally, after all these years. I wasn't wrong, after all."

"Hm," Alejandro said ponderingly, "I haven't seen you fired up like that ever since… well, come to think of it, I have never seen you fired up like that… Can you finally tell me why you have such obsession with Alucard? For all the time that I have known you, his figure had always been on your mind – and you have never even seen the guy! Well, he is not a guy, really… a compressed mass of souls that looks like a guy would be a better description. But he disappeared when you were a little kid, right? Do you have a perverted death wish of something like that? Well, I can ask my guys to realize it for you…You know, whatever you may want… they can shoot you and then eat you… or they'll eat you a little, and then shoot you, and finish eating you, or something… Heh… You don't need Alucard for that…"

"Shut up, Alejandro, that not funny!" Markus exclaimed angrily, "Or before our next meet-up I will eat a bunch of garlic bread and top it with garlic shrimp!"

"Oh, man, stop saying 'garlic,'" Alejandro winced, "Even thinking about it suffocates me. So, tell me, then… what is there between you and Alucard? Or is there something?"

"All right," Markus sighed, "I guess that there will be no better time than now… But if anyone else finds out…"

"Oh, come on, Markus. You know how well I keep secrets…"

"You remember all that nasty business with Millennium, right? I was seven when everything happened, so I didn't understand much of what was going on."

"I'm seventy-two years old, Markus, you seem to forget that sometimes. Of course, I remember."

"Well… my farther… Tubalcain Alhambra… He worked for them…"

"No shit… you are kidding, right?"

"More than anything in the world I would want this to be a joke, Alejandro. But it isn't. He did work for Millennium. Actually, 'work' is a strong word for that. Rather, he was their toy… disposable amusement… a test tool… He used to be a performer… he did card tricks and things like that, you know. Private parties, carnivals… He was making more than enough to support the two of us… My mother died when I was four. And he… he had magic hands, as they said. All the cool card tricks he did… his friends called him the 'dandy man.' And then one day my uncle showed up. That Nazi-lover asshole. Both him and my grandfather were Nazi supporters. My grandfather even gave refuge to a Nazi lieutenant after the Second World War. That Nazi lieutenant was supposed to be a part of the Millennium group, but it turned out pretty soon after the war that he had his own agenda. He stole a portion of the loot that the Nazi's brought with them to South America – and then he disappeared. With the help of my grandfather, of course. But he died shortly thereafter, and my grandfather was now the only one who knew where the stolen portion of the bloody treasure was. But he couldn't risk trying to get in there while the members of the Millennium group were alive. Waiting for them to die, he passed on himself – not even realizing that some of those Nazis were not destined to die of age. Before his death, my grandfather told my brother and my uncle where the gold was hidden. And that led to what happened between my father and my uncle thirty years ago. My father wanted nothing to do with that gold, which that rotten Nazi lieutenant stashed, but my uncle apparently needed more convincing guarantees. Of course, I understood that many years after the fact. But back then… on that day… when he showed up at our house… he and my father had a long talk. I stood behind the door, but I still couldn't understand what they were talking about. It turned out that my uncle had connections with Millennium. He was not an insider, just a messenger, I suppose. So, he proposed my father a job… nothing out of the ordinary – to entertain people at a banquet. Well, you can guess who was throwing that banquet. That insane Nazi major… But my father didn't know that, and so he went. That was the last time I saw him in person. They did something to him. I knew something was wrong… even though I was just seven years old. The police searched everywhere – but there was no trace of him. And then I saw that live broadcast on TV. Perhaps, you remember… about the terrorists who locked themselves in the hotel…"

"Yeah, vaguely…"

"He was there on that evening. The camera caught him going against Alucard. I barely recognized him. His eyes… his face… I've never seen him look so scary before… They've turned him into a freak! A vampire, werewolf, or something… I have never been able to find out what exactly they did to him… and then they sent him on a suicide mission… And then, as you know, the Millennium made their move on London. The coast was clear, and my uncle was finally able to get his hands on the stash of that Nazi lieutenant. Perhaps, a shred of dignity awakened in him at that point, because he decided to take me in… and that was his gravest mistake. When I was fourteen, I got into his records and found enough reasons to kill him. I hid all the money, gold, jewelry… made it look like a break-in. No one suspected me. But I wasn't satisfied. I wanted to take revenge on Millennium, but they all were long dead by that time, of course. I've spent a good portion of the bloody Nazi gold to get all information that I could get. Most of it was classified, of course, but it always depends if the price is right. The Millennium group… what a freak show they were… There was a crazy doctor with idiotic glasses. Then there was a weirdo that never talked. Then there was an ugly dike with a tattooed face. And then there was a cat-boy… can you imagine, a cat-boy!? He had an interesting ability, though… he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And then there was that insane major… that sociopath… he turned out to be a machine with the ultimate goal of destroying Alucard simply because he didn't like him. Imagine that! That was the core of the Millenium group! And all rest were just tools. Hell, all of them except the major were just tools. And those losers forced my father to waste himself for such moronic cause. But they were long gone by the time I understood everything. So, I needed somebody else to bring vengeance upon. And then I realized… it was Alucard who ultimately killed my father… I knew that he was going return. Because he didn't die in that battle. And when something isn't dead – it is alive. It's that simple. And when we are talking about something as wicked and monstrous as Alucard, then we can be damn sure that he must be able to find a way to beat all the odds. The major was wrong, and I was right. Alucard has returned…

Alejandro didn't respond right away. He reached into his front pocket, pulled out a cigarette, lit up and puffed a couple of times.

"For all the years that we have known each other… it's like I have never known you at all until today, Markus," he finally said, "Thank you for sharing that with me. Must have been hard. Need a smoke?"

"No…"

"Well, I've always known that you had guts… I just didn't know how much… Your story if fucked up, Markus. And I'm not trying to offend you, I'm just saying as it is… But… I don't really understand. Where are you going with this now? Are you planning to take revenge on Alucard? You cannot be serious. He is… well, he is not even _'Alucard'_… he is Dracula, the prince of Wallachia… he is a centuries-old vampire, the most powerful one in this world. Many have tried to take him on, including that insane major whom you just mentioned…"

"I didn't say that I was going to take Alucard on," Markus smirked, "I'm going to take _from_ him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he took my father from me, so the true revenge on him would be for me to take someone from him as well."

"Like who?"

"Think about it. After thirty years, to whom did her return? He could go anywhere, and yet, he is back with Hellsing. And who is there? Integra Hellsing and Seras Victoria. He returned to them after thirty years of wandering in his own world. As much a monster as he may be, he must have human side in him if he returned to those people after all that time. And I knew that he would. Those two women are dearest to him. And I will take them from him."

"You are starting to scare me, man," Alejandro smirked, "How do you expect to do that. Don't tell me that you have been designing some devilishly crafty plan for your entire life, just like that insane major…"

"As a matter of fact, I have," Markus grinned wickedly, "Just like that major, I've been waiting. I've been ready for a long time. And now, everything is about to be put into motion. On that note, I need your help, Alejandro."

"Hm… that depends on what you need. I'm sorry, friend, but I'm not getting involved with Alucard or Hellsing at any level."

"No, nothing like that. I just need you to arrange me a meeting with Eliza Bethor."

"Wow. Markus, you know that you are putting me in a very awkward position here, right?" Alejandro replied ponderingly, "She stands very much above us… she an elite huntress and her pack is… well, they kick ass, to put it simply… they kick ass that kicks our ass…"

"I don't really care, to be honest," Markus said gravely, looking outside through the window, "Can you do it or not? If not, I will find somebody else."

"Come on, man, don't give me this shit. Of course I will get her to talk to you. I presume that you will hang around for the time being."

"Yes. Believe it or not, I still need to finish some business here, pay some visits, but the faster you can make everything happen – the better. Because I'm flying to Saint-Petersburg after this. And then to Rome."

"Interesting… I think, it's better if I don't ask. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. Eye wanted me to pass a message to you. His exacts words were, "I don't know what that Alhambra man is planning, but I want in.""

"Excellent," Markus smirked, "Tell him to stand by. I was right thinking that I could save myself one trip to London."

At the Hellsing's training grounds, Seras was preparing for one of her favorite exercises – two revolving machineguns, each weighing about two hundred kilograms, with maximum output of six hundred rounds per minute, capable of pulverizing a fifteen-inch concrete wall into dust. Unfortunately for her – and fortunately for everyone else – she had only gotten to use them once in a real-life operation. Therefore, she had always welcomed an opportunity to least practice with them every now and then. She was about to begin when she heard the sound of footsteps. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Alucard.

"Good evening, Master," she smiled.

"Good evening, Seras. We are needed upstairs, so you will have to stop here."

"Hm… all right. But you didn't have to come all the way here to let me know that, Master. Surely, Sir Integra could have just…"

"It's fine, Seras," he replied sternly, "I wanted to come in person to tell you that, and so I did."

"I see… all right, then."

She noticed right away that he seemed moody and wondered what could have caused that. As she was putting away the machineguns, Alucard pulled out his silver pistol, took aim at what appeared to be shooting dummies standing far away outside the shooting range, and then unloaded his magazine into them. Watching the dummies being blown into pieces, Seras puckered her brow.

"Nice shooting, Master," she said with slight hesitation, "But… those weren't shooting targets… we use them to practice close combat moves… they are bio-robotic aids…"

"Not anymore they aren't," he replied apathetically.

"Oh well, the joke is on Sir Penwood, I guess," she shrugged her shoulders, "He will have to get us new ones."

"Either that or he will have to hunt vampires himself…"

Becoming more and more confused and concerned about Alucard's moodiness, Seras could no longer resist asking.

"Are you all right, Master?"

"Me? Of course," he responded dryly, "But the humanity is not. I've read the report that Bennett has compiled for me. It has been thirty years. And nothing important has changed. Apparently, everyone in England now has a heated toilet seat, yet millions of humans around the world continue to kill each other in the name of God. I'm beginning to wonder if they are really worth saving from vampires if they cannot even be saved from themselves."

Seras lowered her head.

"I'm sorry that you are disappointed, Master," she muttered, "I too feel like that sometimes… yet, I have been refusing for all this time to give up whatever human part I still have left in me. But I think of it in different terms… you are right, humanity may not be worth saving as whole… but when you look at an individual… isn't Sir Integra worth saving? What about Bennett? What about the rest of our staff, for that matter? The King? Sir Penwood?"

"You have a point, Seras," Alucard half-smiled, "But you can make that point because you were fully human not so long ago – relative to how long ago _I _was fully human. That is why I told you a little while ago – do not let your human part leave you. We make a better team if one of us can think like a human."

She smiled at him and then remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you, Master."

"Oh?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out something that immediately started smoking and sizzling in her hand.

"I… I shoot pistols too, you know… I'm just not really fond of them, " she said tensely, overcoming pain, "So, after my practice today I found this… it's silver bullet from my pistol… it hit the wall and turned into this… it… it doesn't look like anything I have ever seen, but I think it's pretty… and I know that… s-silver isn't really something to give to a vampire, b-but… you seem to have no trouble handling it… so… I don't know, I just thought that…"

He brought his hand forward and covered hers, prompting her to turn it over and drop the melted bullet in his palm. He then clenched it in his fist, and it started smoking and sizzling.

"Master, what are you…"

"It's all right, Seras," he smiled, "I call it the ultimate test for good quality silver. Even my gloves do very little to protect me if I press hard enough."

He opened his palm and studied the thing closely.

"Such curious thing, Seras," he finally said, "Such philosophical and symbolic gift. Beautiful to the eye, yet troublesome to enjoy any other way. Perhaps, some things in this world are only meant to be enjoyed through the eyes, whether human or vampiric. Or, perhaps not. It is much like… Well, anyway, thank you, Seras, I will make sure to keep it with me at all times. But we have to get going now. Something interesting is coming up, I can feel it."

"Right," she nodded.

Realizing that she understood what he was about to say, Alucard felt awkward. Should he have said it? Did she want him to say it? He could easily read her mind and find out, but at that particular moment that was utterly uncalled for. Meanwhile, Seras was thinking pretty much the same thing as he was – should he have said it and did she wanted to hear it? Without saying a word to each other, they decided to _walk_ upstairs rather than use their abilities to save time. Walking implied being near each other, and that was exactly what both of them wanted at that moment.

When they walked into the office, they found Integra and Bennett waiting.

"So, you two finally made it," Integra smirked, "I was about to send Bennett after you. Alucard, next time I will use radio communication, as I always do."

"I sense something interesting coming up," he replied, ignoring her comment, "I'm literally dying of anticipation."

"Don't pretend as if you have no idea what I'm about to say."

He grinned in response but didn't say anything. Integra stood up and eyed everybody.

"As the members of Hellsing organization whom I consider the closest to me, you will be the first to find out about my decision regarding the future. Not just the future of Hellsing, but mine as well," she spoke clearly, "After due consideration, I have to accept Alucard's offer to become a vampire…"

She took a pause, trying to evaluate the effects of her words so far. She expected a satisfying grin from Alucard and a shocked face expression from Seras, but Bennett's content smile surprised her.

"Sir Integra, are you serious? After all this time?" Seras asked anxiously.

"Yes, Seras," she Integra nodded, "And there are several reasons for that. The main one being, of course, that all of you here are much like family to me, and I cannot see myself leaving this world in ten, twenty, or, maybe, even fifty years. Being a vampire allows one to fully control one's life. Eternal life is a wish, and therefore it can be undone at any moment. Secondly, and I ask you, Alucard and Seras, not to take offense, but if Hellsing gets turned over to the Government, then you will become government property. And somehow I don't believe that either of you is going to accept the idea. And without you two Hellsing will be no more, because you make up its core anti-supernatural force. Moreover, if you two leave Hellsing, you will automatically become targets of other anti-vampire organizations, including those that will replace Hellsing. I cannot even let the thought like that cross my mind. Finally, the Hellsing Organization is my family's legacy. I cannot allow it to fade away simply because I decided to remain single and did not continue our family tree. I have no right to throw away our legacy like that. If I have to keep living in order to preserve our family name from becoming history, then I must do just that."

"I'm glad that you have come to that realization, Master," Alucard smirked, "So, the question now is when…"

"I don't know yet, Alucard," Integra shook her head, "I find it more difficult to get ready to accept it physically than mentally. Just give me some time."

"I'll be waiting, Master."

"Come to think of it, it is going to be amusing," Seras suddenly teased, "You do you realize that you are going to be sleeping in a coffin, right, Sir Integra? Just like you ordered me to do thirty years ago. We can't have a vampire who doesn't sleep in a coffin, remember?"

"I remember, Seras," Integra replied sternly.

"And speaking of coffins, ma'am, I will make all the necessary arrangements as soon as you are ready," Bennett said, "And it won't be a problem to obtain the soil of your birthplace, because, come to think of it, it should be all around the mansion."

"Bennett, stop it, please," she sighed, "You sound unduly enthusiastic about this. Do you really want to put me in a coffin so badly?"

"No, of course not, ma'am," Bennett smiled, "It's just that… how should I put that? You decision resolves one of the greatest fears of my life…"

"Which is?"

"Seeing you die, Sir Integra," he replied somewhat hesitantly, "I cannot bear the thought of having to lose the closest person to me and then witness the collapse of the organization that has become my home – because that is exactly what will happen to Hellsing if it loses you."

"Humans are such fascinating creatures," Alucard smirked, "You'd rather have her turn into vampire than see her die."

"Don't act as if you have never been a human yourself, Alucard," Integra gave him a cold stare and then looked at Bennett, "Thank you, Bennett. Regardless of how unceremoniously straightforward your words sound, they do warm my heart. I will let you know as soon as I decide on the time so you can get everything ready."

"Of course, Sir."

"I… I still find it hard to believe, Sir Integra," Seras said, "We have talked many times before about that, and you have always…"

"Yes, I know, Seras," Integra replied calmly, "I have always rejected the notion, the thought, the idea… but as they say, sometimes it just takes a different person. I was wrong, Seras. However, even if I agreed with you, how would it change things? You wouldn't be able to turn me into a vampire anyway, right?"

"Well," Seras smirked, "I could have used Bennett as a proxy…"

Alucard grinned wickedly.

"I know that that was supposed to be a joke, Seras, but it is too dark for the moment," Integra said somewhat irritably.

"This, and also, miss Victoria, I believe that you and I had a talk about that once," Bennett smiled lightly, "I do not reject the idea and would have gladly served as a 'proxy,' as you just termed it… but… putting it in most inexplicit terms, I'm not in condition to become a vampire through what would be considered a 'normal' process..."

"You are such a bore, Bennett," Seras sighed, "I'm just happy with Sir Integra's decision, so I felt like saying a joke."

"My apologies, miss Victoria, but, as Sir Integra said, that joke was too dark for the moment."

"Sorry. Still, I'm happy, just like you are. Believe it or not, my feelings about this ordeal are pretty much the same as yours, Bennett."

"Actually, I have no doubt that they are, miss Victoria," Bennett smiled again.

"Well, now that the first emotional wave has passed, I would like to propose something that all of you may find awkward at first," Integra said, "We seem to have no official business today, so I suggest we have a dinner together. Diet preferences will be taken into account, of course. Any objections?"

Despite the unprecedented nature of that proposal, the only one who appeared flabbergasted by it was Seras. Alucard seemed rather curious. Bennett, although taken aback, looked fairly content.

"I didn't know that you were _that_ comfortable with seeing vampires drink blood, Master," Alucard smirked.

"I'm not," Integra replied, "But I might as well begin to make myself comfortable with it. However, that's not the point. I have spent a significant portion of my life with each one of you. More with Bennett and Seras, actually, than with you, Alucard. But you came first and I'm alive because of you… well, what I'm trying to say is… all of you… human or vampire… you are very much like family to me… all of you mean a world to me. So… as unusual as it may sound coming from me… I want us to spend more time together. But since all of us have different natures and different duties as part of Hellsing, our options are fairly limited. And having a dinner together is one of them, I think. I don't want to impose, but I'd greatly appreciate if we tried that at least once. I know that that it not one of my best ideas, but… I want it to be out of your free will, not because I'm your Master, in one sense or the other. So, what do you say?"

"Unless anyone has any objections, I gladly accept, ma'am," Bennett nodded in acknowledgement.

"I… me too," Seras said softly, still appearing quite bewildered.

"What about you, Alucard?" Integra asked, looking at him.

"Do you even need to ask, Master?" he grinned, "As long as you are comfortable, I will be truly pleased to attend. I consider it an order not to think of that as an order, so I chose for myself to come."

"Very well, then," Integra smiled in relief, "Bennett, could you, please, make arrangements?"

"Certainly, ma'am."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The dinner seemed to have gone fairly all right for everybody. In anticipation that Alucard would be watching her drink blood, Seras even requested a straw in order to make it easier for herself to drink and swallow. That appeared to have amused him a great deal. But the overall experience turned out to be more positive than negative. Alucard drank his blood like wine, picking up the goblet from the table, taking small sips, and the putting it back. Seras, with her straw, looked like she was drinking tomato juice. Interga, being the head of everything – Hellsing organization, Hellsing family, and the dinner table itself – kept secretly throwing glances at everybody, trying to make sure that they were comfortable with what she had dragged them into. Bennett, always content and relaxed, showed no signs of uneasiness, either. Like Alucard, he seemed to be amused with Seras, who was hesitantly sucking blood through the straw and glancing at Alucard time to time. There was very little talking, but that also met everyone's expectations.

When the dinner was almost finished, somebody knocked at the door of the dining room.

"Come in," Integra said, turning her head.

The door opened, and one of the Hellsing's intelligence officers walked in.

"I'm truly sorry for bothering you during dinner, ma'am, but we have just received a troubling request for assistance from a rural town about ninety kilometers northwest of London," the officer said.

"What kind of a request?"

"It appears that today their local police department began receiving multiple reports of disappearance of citizens. They immediately launched an investigation and during its course they discovered several instances of what they described as 'occult vandalism.' In the residences of the missing people, as well in the local church, the police found satanic verses written in blood on the walls and the ceiling. Naturally, the department sent a group of officers to investigate the town's cemetery – the usual place for cultists to be attracted to. But the contact with the group was lost shortly after its confirmed arrival to the cemetery. The location of the cemetery, the woodland at the edge of town, makes it difficult to conduct aerial surveillance, so they had no choice but to sent a retrieval squad on the scene."

"Let me guess, the contact with the squad has been lost, and none of them returned," Integra smirked.

"Exactly," the officer nodded, "But after that the chief of police armed two thirds of the remaining force with assault weaponry and sent them to take control over the area."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Integra struck the table with her fist, "How could mindless idiots like that be put in charge in the first place?"

"Do I need to say that the entire brigade…"

"Was not heard from again," Integra sighed, "No, don't bother… I get the picture… tell that idiot who calls himself the chief that Hellsing will be sending agents right away, and that they will engage whoever is causing the trouble way before I arrive in order to give him a piece of my mind. In fact, by the time when I arrive, everything may even be finished. And if he sends even one more person to that damned cemetery, I will make sure that he gets discharged, even if I have to go before His Majesty directly. Also, prepare the helicopter for me and make sure that Alucard and Seras get the coordinates of the town."

"Of course, Sir. Here they are. And I will notify the pilot right away."

The officer handed Integra the papers and then hastily left the room. As he exited, everybody stood up.

"What a predictable ending to the dinner," Integra said irritably.

"Well, there is nothing like a little fun after a good mean," Alucard smirked, "I sense an interesting night. Seras, go get the appropriate weapon to enjoy yourself with, and then come back here. I will be waiting. I want to try something."

"Eh… all right, Master," Seras replied somewhat confusedly, "Thank you for the dinner, everybody. I guess…"

She walked into the wall and blended in with her shadow inside it. Alucard walked around the table to Integra and took the papers from her hands.

"You want to try something?" she asked, "What might that be?"

"Nothing major," Alucard grinned slyly and studied the documents, "Even someone like me is very far from knowing everything about demonic powers. And I'm rather curious about one thing. If it works in the way that I think it should, then we will be able to cut our dispatch time nearly to nothing – now and for the future. Ah, I see… I know exactly where this town is. Naturally, thirty years don't change maps and locations much. Very good."

"You speak too vaguely for me to understand you, Alucard."

"Then you will just have to wait and see, Master."

"And… it's actually very convenient that Seras isn't here right now, because I need to give an order specifically for you, Alucard."

"Oh? I'm all ears, Master."

"Cases like don't happen very often nowadays, but time to time they still do. I know that your memory is perfect, Alucard," Integra said sternly, "So you must recall a situation very similar to what you are about to witness. That time you returned to me with Seras in your arms. And I'm grateful to you for that. She has always been a perfect addition to Hellsing in all ways, but don't you dare tell me that on that night shooting through her and then turning her into a vampire was the only way to go… you just wanted everything that way. That was your whim. And once again, I have never regretted that everything happened the way it did on that night, but… Alucard, under no circumstances I want a repeat of what happened back then. Acting on your whim is not an option. Hellsing dispatches two vampires on the scene, and two same vampires will return. I don't want another unfortunate soul, which simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, to be killed, revived, and then put through hell simply because you thought that that would be interesting. Don't play God… or Devil… Don't create situations for people to volunteer for their own personal nightmare. Do you understand me, Alucard?"

"Of course, Master," Alucard bowed, smirking, "It shall be done as you command. However, I'd like to say that I wouldn't even think about doing something like that again. I have my reasons also."

"Well, as long as they work towards our common goal, I have no problem with that."

At that moment, Seras appeared from the wall, carrying a large gun. Alucard immediately noticed the fire in her eyes, and it excited him.

"Oh, what's this?" he wondered.

"I believe that that would be one of miss Victoria's favorite weapons," Bennett said with a soft smile, realizing that he was more suited to answer the question regarding technicalities, "A very powerful, custom-made dual-mode assault weapon. It can be used both as a semi-automatic rifle and as a machinegun. For heavily armored targets, a mini grenade-launcher is added at the bottom of the barrel. The weapon's butt is weighted and reinforced, and bayonet option is available – making the weapon perfect for close combat. Weighing well over a hundred kilograms while fully loaded, it cannot possibly be effectively used by a human being. Constructed mostly according to miss Victoria's requests, with some minor adjustments. I must say, miss Victoria, that that is a very good choice for today's operation. However, it is my duty to remind you that since you will be using magazines, as opposed to a belt, your ammunition will be quite limited, so it would be wise not to overuse the fully automatic mode."

"I will try to remember that while I'm firing at whatever I see moving," Seras smirked.

"And you know that the only reason I'm telling you this is because in the end you will not be the one cleaning the weapon, right?" Bennett teased good-naturedly.

"I always remember that – but only until I'm out of bullets," she teased back.

"All right, the humor ends here," Integra raised her voice, "Alucard, Seras, you know the orders. Nothing has changed. You will search and destroy."

"Yes, Sir!" Seras replied reverently.

"It will be a pleasure, my Master," Alucard replied, removing his hat and bowing his head, "We will be off now."

At that moment, a shadow appeared from his shoulder, extended towards Seras and then blended into her shadowy arm.

"Master, what are you…"

Before she could finish her question, both of them suddenly vanished. Integra and Bennett were startled for a moment, but then look at each other and smiled.

"It seems that whatever Alucard wanted to test worked."

"It would appear so, ma'am."

Seras found herself standing amidst a wooded terrain; Alucard was standing beside her.

"Wh… what? What happened? Where are we?" she wondered, looking around.

"We are just where we need to be," Alucard grinned in satisfaction, " In the woods on the other side of the cemetery. It is just ahead, and I can already smell the upcoming amusement."

"B-but how?"

"To be honest, I didn't know whether it would work or not. Since it was _I _who turned you into a vampire, your essence has an affinity towards mine. You have your own mind, your own will, we are not physically connected in any way – and so you are not a part of me in a direct sense. But it turns out that when our shadows blend into each other – you are a part of me. I can be anywhere I want – as long as I know where the place is – and I can drag you along if were are in union."

"Hm," Seras muttered ponderingly, "That's interesting and, perhaps, convenient… but it freaked me out."  
"I would be surprised if it didn't," Alucard smirked, "Now, be on your guard, Seras. It may seem just like an advanced form of shooting range for you, and it will most likely turn out to be that way, but you never know."

They walked to the edge of the forest, to the rear side of the cemetery, and found themselves stunned by the view: it was swarmed with ghouls.

"So many…" Seras panted.

"Poor bastards," Alucard said angrily, gritting his teeth, "Look at these unfortunate souls… most of them aren't even armed. They are just citizens… or rather, they were just citizens. They must have turned half of this entire place into ghost town by now."

"They?"

"Yes. One pathetic piece of shit of a vampire cannot possibly control all these ghouls. There must be several of them, hiding within this poor bunch. It could have been just one very powerful vampire, but, except yours, I cannot sense any other prominent dark power close by. Furthermore, a very powerful vampire would have enough brains and dignity to never get involved in such disgusting and degrading mess."

"So, what shall we do, Master?"

"What _is_ there to do, Seras? I trust it that by now you have already learned the deal by heart. These people didn't choose to become ghouls… there is no way to cure them… it is only in their interest to be put to rest as quickly as possible."

"I know," Seras sighed.

"Then go. You are the main firepower here. You clearly want this role, so you must carry it to the fullest. I will back you up. Go, Seras. Put those poor souls to rest!"

"Yes Sir!"

She launched a grenade into middle of the crowd and sprang into action. Cleverly utilizing her unnatural speed and agility, she was quickly moving around the cemetery and firing on the go. She was already down one magazine when Alucard only approached the spot, from which he felt comfortable shooting. His eyes, of course, allowed him to witness everything in slow motion, and he was able to watch her every move, while he himself was methodically laying waste to all the ghouls in sight. He didn't even bother to protect himself from their return fire and just kept taking damage without moving. Seras, on the other hand, was easily evading any stray bullets that went in direction where she happened to be at the moment. It clearly seemed that the host vampires, wherever they where hiding, were focusing all their attention on Alucard – simply because Seras was moving too quickly for the ghouls to target.

While she was enjoying herself to the fullest, however, keeping track of her ammunition was at the very bottom of the list of her priorities. As she reached into the back pocket of her shorts, she realized that that was her last magazine. Prior to that, she had emptied both of her side pockets in less than two minutes without even giving consideration to the fact that her ammo was depleting at an exceedingly quick rate. The reason for her not being worried about that, of course, was that going into hand-to-hand combat was near the top of the list of her priorities.

"Oh, what do you know, I'm all out. Maybe, I should have taken the belt instead," she muttered to herself sarcastically.

"Is that a complaint, Seras?" she heard Alucard's teasing voice in her head.

"No," she smirked, "Just a heads-up. I'm going in. Oh, wait… not yet. I almost forgot…."

She remembered at that point that on her belt she still had two spare grenades for the launcher. She pulled them out and quickly fired them, one after another, into the mass of ghouls. As two blazing explosions sent bodies and body parts flying through the air, she grinned in satisfaction.

"All right, _now_ I'm going in. I'm sorry, Bennett, but there is just no other way…"

She charged straight into the crowd and went into rampage. Striking with left and right with her gun, kicking and punching through flesh, crushing heads and using her shadow to slash through everything around, she started plowing deeper and deeper, leaving nothing but bloody pulp behind.

"Seras," she heard Alucard's voice in head, "I think that we need to step it up a notch."

"Meaning?"

"It has always been a great pleasure for me to watch you create mayhem, and I don't doubt that you can take on this entire horde with your bare hands and turn them all into dust. I don't want to cut your excitement short, and, for that matter, to cut _my _excitement short, but at this point it is just wasting time and energy, Seras. We have not come here adequately ready, and I don't want you to overexert yourself while trying to compensate for our lack of preparation, despite how much you seem to be enjoying it. I'm almost out of bullets as well. There are, of course, Bennett's silver-cyanide rounds, but this just doesn't feel like the right occasion."

"So, what do you suggest, Master?"

"We need to kill the hosts. That will destroy the ghouls under their control. I will see if I can spot any of them from above, while you… hm… on second thought, keep doing what you are doing and just wait for my command. If anything, you will plunge into one of them by chance very soon at this rate," Alucard smirked.

He leaped high into the air and hovered above the cemetery. In order to reorient the ghouls and make them fire in his direction, the host vampires had to give them a command, and he was waiting for that moment, trying to use his superior senses and pick out anything that stood out from the mass of mindless walking dead. Tuning out the multitude of distracting sounds, he was able to hear a finger click…

"Seras, I've got him. Follow my shot."

She raised her head and watched in slow motion how the bullet left the barrel of his pistol and flew in direction of the target. Cutting her way through surrounding ghouls, she made it to the vampire just before the bullet struck him on the head. As soon as it did, she followed with a devastating punch through his chest and heart. Such culmination of his afterlife seemed to have come as a complete surprise to him, because he didn't ever appear to be realizing that he was being killed. As his body disappeared in blue flames, a significant portion of the ghouls dropped on the ground and quieted down.

"Good work, Seras. Finding the others will be even easier now. Get ready."

"Yes, Master."

Meanwhile, off the cemetery, hiding amidst the foliage of large tree, Eye was curiously observing the situation.

"Why do you tempt me so by making yourself such an easy target, Alucard?" he muttered softly, aligning his loaded crossbow with Alucard's position in the air, "That's what a fool would think… In truth, however, the paradox of the situation is that if I were to pull the trigger right now, the only one who would end up dead would be me…"

He lowered his crossbow and smirked.

"Ah, look at you two… annihilating three of my best dogs and their numerous brood. Well, I hope that you are enjoying your little 'welcome back' present, Alucard. I don't know much about you, and you don't know me, but somehow I feel that you deserve this little episode of fun as token of celebration of your return. It's time for you to remember what pathetic world you have returned to. You are welcome. Please, think nothing of it. And besides, you are doing me a favor also. I just cannot raise my arm to put down my most loyal dogs by myself. Such nice pets they are. They would even follow my words through something as deranged as this… And then they would fight the battle with a predetermined end. Well, as they say, loyalty without brains attached to it is mere servitude. And keeping slaves is just not my style… Ah, you just killed the second one… nicely done, Seras Victoria!"

As the second host vampire disappeared in blue flames, Alucard landed on the ground beside Seras. Before them stood only about twenty more ghouls, and most of them where unarmed.

"Well, I don't think that we need to look much further for leftovers," Alucard smirked.

"Yup," Seras grinned.

Without saying a single word to each other, they immediately proceeded to finish off the remaining ghouls. While Alucard shot down half of them one by one, like bowling pins, Seras turned her shadowy arm into a series of spikes, quickly cast them forward and impaled the rest. As the last ghoul collapsed on the ground, Seras and Alucard finally saw the host vampire who was standing behind it. Holding a submachine-gun, he looked like a cornered mischievous boy who was awaiting punishment. Seras carefully glanced at Alucard, trying to figure out what his reaction was. His face was showing a mixture of pity and disgust.

"Really?" he uttered scornfully, "Hiding behind your ghouls? How did you manage not to piss yourself while writing those satanic verses? Or did you? Even for a Satanist, you are pathetic little fellow, aren't you?"

In response, the vampire suddenly screamed hysterically, raised his gun and began firing at Alucard. Seras instinctively extended her shadow to shield him, even thought she knew that bullets would do him no harm. Once the vampire's magazine was empty, Alucard walked forward, leaving Seras's shadow behind.

"Run," he said, giving the vampire a piercing stare, "Run like you're escaping from the deepest pits of Hell. You don't even deserve to be shot…"

Not waiting for the offer to be repeated, the vampire turned around and ran towards the edge of the cemetery, tripping and slipping.

"… while we're are standing face-to-face," Alucard finished his sentence and raised his pistol, "You don't even deserve to be shot while we're standing face-to-face. However…"

"Master, please…"

"Seras, he and his pathetic friends turned half of this town into ghouls, and you're asking me…"

"No, Master," Seras grinned excitedly, "Please, let me do it."

"Ah," Alucard smirked, "I thought you didn't have any bullets left."

"Not for general occasion that is. But this is different… That pathetic excuse for a vampire cannot even answer properly for his deeds."

She reached into the side pocket of her shorts and pulled out a single bullet.

"Excellent," Alucard smiled wickedly, "Come on, then. Put a bullet through his craven heart."

Seras quickly loaded the bullet, raised her gun, but did not take a shot right away.

"What are you waiting for?" Alucard wondered.

"The utmost moment of thrill," she replied with a sly smile, revealing her fangs.

"Ah, yes… just as I thought. Of course, in thirty years you have experienced the true thrill of being a vampire, haven't you, Seras. Look at him… running as fast as he can… desperately straining his every muscle… breathing so hard that he is ready to spit his guts out… and one bullet is all you have… and when he is almost there… when he thinks that he has gotten away…"

"Yes… bam…"

"Excellent, Seras! Excellent!" Alucard chuckled, "But keep in mind that this thrill is not only yours… it also _mine_… so don't you dare spoil it for both of us…"

"Well… in case I miss, it would just take me two seconds to catch up to him and finish him off, but I try not to think about that, because it kills all the excitement…"

"I would consider something like that a failure, Seras," Alucard frowned, "So, no cutting corners."

"Yes, Master!"

Captivated, Alucard kept slowly eyeing Seras, focusing on every tiny move of her body as she was getting closer and closer to the moment when she had to take the shot

In the meantime, watching the peculiar development of the situation, Eye was getting more and more agitated.

"Come on, come on," he whispered angrily, gritting his teeth, "Come on, Seras Victoria! Don't tell me that a shot like that is a problem for you… he is running in a straight line! What's the problem, dammit? Just what the hell are you doing!? And what the hell are you thinking!? You are not letting him escape, are you? What are you going to do if you miss? He is definitely out of Alucard's gun range now. So, will you dash after him? It's pathetic! Besides, if you do, you will feel my presence… and also… damn… this makes my blood boil! How can a hunter like me miss on such an opportunity? Take the shot now, or _I_ will! Ah, screw it! Let's give Hellsing something to boggle their mind with, shall we!?"

He raised his crossbow, took a moment to aim and then pulled the trigger. And at the exact same moment, in the middle of the cemetery, Seras pulled hers. The sound of the shot echoed through the surroundings and then subsided.

"Yes… Yes… Yes… That's what I'm talking about," she grinned, breathing excitedly.

"Perfect! Perfect timing, perfect aim, perfect everything! Perfect in every way, Seras! I loved it!" Alucard exclaimed, fascinated with her exhilaration.

"Thank you, Master!"

While his admiring face expression was inspiring, she felt the excitement slowly dying down inside her. Her human part, having let her vampire run spirit loose for a little bit, was now taking control over her consciousness again. Only at that point she realized that Alucard was bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.

"Master, you are…"

"It all right, Seras. I just didn't bother to heal them… such wounds don't deserve to be noticed during battle. You've got quite a few bruises and cuts yourself too…"

He realized that he wasn't surprised at all by such abrupt change in her behavior. He also realized that he was able to put his understanding of her nature into words.

"You know what, Seras?"

"Master?"

"You are too good for a monster. And you are too good for a human. But you would make spectacular failure as an angel," he smirked.

"I'm fine with that," she smiled, "Angels don't get to play with assault weapons at their will."

She looked at her gun and the suddenly something occurred to her.

"Master, I just remembered… there was something wrong," she said ponderingly.

"Yes, I also thought for a moment that something was odd," Alucard replied, looking in direction where the last vampire had just been killed.

"His body… jerked in a strange way… as if…"

"Why guess when we can take look?"

Alucard extended his shadow from his shoulder, and it blended into Seras's shadowy arm. They vanished and reappeared on the spot where the vampire fell, and immediately noticed that something was lying amidst the leftover ash. Seras approached it, squatted and picked it up.

"It's… it's an arrow… no, it's too short and too heavy for an arrow… it's a crossbow bolt. But…"

"So, he was killed three times. First – when he was turned into a vampire, second – with your bullet, and third – with this bolt."

Despite that her weapon was out of ammo, Seras raised it instinctively and started looking around.

"Calm down, Seras. Whoever fired this bolt is no longer here. But the real question is why that person was here in the first place. Whoever that is, I hope that he or she understands that playing with us is a death wish, which I will happily grant," Alucard said angrily.

"We must show this bolt to Sir Intergra."

"Yes, let's see what Master thinks about all this. We're going, Seras. Get ready."

"How come you didn't tell me to get ready the first two times, Master?"

It was close to midnight in the Pacific Time Zone, when a black automobile carrying two passengers on the back seat parked by a light poll, near the entrance to the public park.

"As promised, I got her to meet you," Alejandro said, "But I have to tell you – that wasn't easy."

"Yeah, yeah, I appreciate you effort," Markus replied somewhat irritably, "I will reimburse you accordingly, you know that."

"Oh, come, Markus! Don't be like that, man! You know that I'm not after your money. I've never been! We've been friends for a long time, haven't we? I'm just trying to show you that I will break my back for you, that's all. I know that you would have done the same for me… it's just that… Alucard is… he is just… I can't…"

"It's all right, I already told you. Sorry for snapping at you, I just had a rough day today with what I thought were lost connections," Markus smirked, "And I wasn't planning to get you involved anyway. Friends don't involve friends in something as fucked up as this. I know that this is fucked up. But I'm going for it. And even if you wanted to - I wouldn't have taken you along. This doesn't concern you, and you have no stake in it. I wouldn't want you to break your back for something that doesn't mean anything to you. So, is she there?"

"Supposed to be," Alejandro shrugged his shoulders, "Also… did you bring a fifty, as I told you. It's a public park, and you know… nights aren't free…"

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, have a good chat, I will be waiting right here."

"All right."

Markus exited the vehicle and headed towards the entrance. After a brief altercation with the guard and a fifty-dollar bill having been dropped on the ground near his shoe, he was allowed to "squeeze in while I go take a leak." On one of the benches under the tree he saw a woman. He slowly proceeded down the sidewalk and stopped as soon as he leveled with the bench.

"You must be Markus Alhambra."

He turned his head and looked at her. In the moonlight, she appeared to be in her early thirties and was fairly attractive. He facial features bore a strong hint of aristocracy.

"Beautiful moon tonight, isn't it?" Markus smiled, "Let me just say that you look very charming in the moonlight. I'm very pleased to meet you, miss Eliza Bethor."

"You compliment is pretentious, mister Alhambra, but I happen to be in the mood for pretentious compliments today," she smiled back, "Take a seat."

Markus approached the bench and sat down.

"Alejandro, your friend, was very persistent in trying to get me to meet with you, mister Alhambra. Normally, I do not honor such requests, but he intrigued me by saying that you are a man out of the ordinary, and that I would be very interested in what you had to say."

"Well, I didn't think that he would go this far selling me to you, but yes, I think that you would be very interested," Markus replied, "I have information for you, along with a business offer, which you may actually find to be more pleasure than business."

"Really? And what would that be?" she looked at him.

"Well, first of all, I presume that you would be very interested to know that he who is currently known as 'Alucard' has returned to this world."

She quickly looked away.

"Any nonhuman creature, divine or demonic, would be interested to know that he is back," she said in a faked apathetic tone, "And by that token, I'm interested just as much. Not one iota more."

"Is that right?" Markus smirked, "How strange… Maybe, I think differently because I'm a human… Still, I would image that, among all those nonhuman creatures, _you_ should be the one who must be interested in whereabouts of Alucard much more than the rest. Am I wrong, Bloody Countess?"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Eliza turned her head and gave Markus a cold stare.

"What did you just call me?"

"Well, with all due respect, you weren't expecting a meeting with an ignorant human, were you, miss Eliza? It must make sense that a person who is unknown to you and who seeks a moment of time with a _creature of your stature_ will not be doing so out of sheer curiosity and blissful ignorance. You should expect that someone like that would be seeking you _precisely_ because of your stature. So, me knowing something about shouldn't really be a surprise to you," Markus smirked.

"The real question is how much 'something' is," Eliza replied sternly, "And right I feel that I'm not sure whether I want to keep listening to you or to just turn you into a meal. How would you like to become a meal for the _creature of my stature_, mister Alhambra?"

"I came prepared for that question, Countess," Markus grinned, "If that is what you wish, then what choice do I have? But _you_ do have a choice. You may satisfy your hunger, or you may satisfy your interest… and, perhaps, make one of your dearest wishes to finally come true…"

"Fine. Let's suppose that I'm interested. Fast-forward though enticement and get to the point, mister Alhambra. If you know as much about me as I suspect, then you must know that patience is not among my greatest assets. Go ahead, surprise me."

"Very well," Markus smiled slyly, "I'm just going to give you a gist of what I have uncovered during many sleepless nights. So, Eliza Bethor. Nowadays, the creator and owner of one of the top private monster-hunting organizations is the United States. For the purpose of comparison, your organization may be considered a rival to Britain's Hellsing Organization. Hellsing, however, has fairly credible historical accounts throughout its existence, while the origins of your organization remain a mystery. All existing historical references appear to have been artificially put into the pool of presumably credible knowledge. But they are factually groundless. I checked them all against multiple sources, the mere existence of which is a mystery to the majority of people. But, of course, the majority of people are way too busy to be researching things that they don't understand. They are way too busy to rummage through hundreds of books, documents and historical manuscripts. Therefore, who would ever think to connect Eliza Bethor, the leader of a largely unknown organization, to a hotel manager Alisia Batter, who was convicted of twenty-seven counts of murder of hotel guests, sentenced to death and executed by firing squad in Utah in 1968? What about Elis Baythorn, a teacher in New York, who was first accused of being connected to disappearance of nineteen children, but then turned out to be the main suspect? Executed by hanging in 1939. How about Lisa Batheria, who marked the turnover of the century in her little town in South Caroline by first poisoning and then slaughtering over forty guests during a wedding celebration? There was not even a trial. She was just hanged at the central square. Now, why not skip through the pages of history back to Salem witch trials? We now understand, of course, that virtually all those women where wrongly accused simply because they looked frightening to the rest, but was Beth Baither an innocent victim? She was suspected of poisoning about a dozen of people from her own village. Did she do it? Or didn't she? Either way, she was first hanged and then drowned. I can give many more names and historical accounts, but the general idea behind them appears to be quite the same: women in their thirties with similar-sounding names, murdering large numbers of people without any apparent fear of getting caught. Historical accounts of their prior lives appear to be credible enough to have passed official inquiries and investigations, but the government dogs had always seemed to lack willingness to dig far enough. And those accounts that have pictures… or drawings… well, the only difference between them is the quality of the pictures themselves… and the lighting… But I must say that your immortal beauty is best suited for moonlight. Furthermore, if I were a monster, I could also say that your immortal beauty was well worth the sixteenth-century bloody legacy of the Hungarian Bathory family. What do _you_ think, Countess Elizabeth? Was it worth it? How many people have you killed in those days? Five hundred? Six hundred. More? History looses accuracy as it goes deeper and deeper into the past. I cannot even imagine a single person being able to kill that many people nowadays, despite how much weaponry have advanced since those times. And not just any people, right? Most of those whom you killed were young virgins, weren't they? And then you bathed in their blood. A normal person would think that something like that is horrible, but I'm not like those people. I do admire you attitude, Countess. You don't hesitate to get anything you want as long as you can find a way to have it. History says that Countess Elizabeth Bathory spent the last years of her life bricked in a tower as punishment. That's what the mortal world knows. But that, of course, is a lie. There are many lies in history that cover shameful truth. I've never really been able to reconstruct the events of that time of your past, and I'm curious, so maybe you can help me, Countess. When they finally discovered your crimes and rushed to your mansion to apprehend you, you were bathing in blood right then, weren't you? Enraged and disgusted, they drowned you in your own bathtub full of blood, didn't they? They thought that they had killed you, but your body accepted the blood… the essence of life that came from other people… you had been granted afterlife on that day. And when everyone returned to retrieve your body – they found nothing. Terrified and ashamed, they decided to hide the truth for the rest… Am I right, Countress? What poor soul spent the last years of her life bricked in a tower in place of you?"

"As if at that time there was a shortage of useless, nameless and homeless bastards walking around," the Countess smiled sarcastically.

"And then, after centuries of hiding behind the pages of history, you decided to change continents and came to America. Still, I suspect that you have basically been continuing your legacy ever since you became a vampire, leaving bloody trail anywhere you came. My guess is that the majority of your crimes have never been uncovered. And you could also go about your bloody business in a different way from that point on: you could allow for the _grand finale_ every time when you wanted it. Your execution would effectively erase you from this world in the eyes of humans, and you were able to begin everything from scratch over and over again. Even beheading had never been a problem, right? Still, dying every time and having to rebuild your existence in human world from scratch has turned out to be quite tiring over the years, hasn't it? And so, you are a vampire hunter now. Why? Because your victims die without _ever_ leaving a trace. And, come to think of it, most of them are virgins as well…"

The Countess chuckled amusedly.

"Very good, mister Alhambra. Very good. However, if you think that you can impress me by telling me about _my own_ life – you better think again."

"Oh, not at all, Countess," Markus smirked, "I was just trying to establish my credibility in your eyes, so that we talk about things that matter to both of us…"

"Like Alucard, or whatever his current name is?" she asked, looking at the Moon and sounding uninterested.

"Yes."

"He is just a Hellsing family pet… one of them, to be exact. Why do you keep insisting that he means anything to me, mister Alhambra? I have never even met him…"

"Is that so, Countess?" Markus grinned, "I must say that despite that you are nearly five centuries old in human years, you don't seem to have learned to lie very well… perhaps, that is why you have been caught going about your bloody business so many times…"

She turned his head sharply and threw a fierce stare at him.

"Just what is that supposed to mean, mister Alhambra? Doesn't it seem to you at this point that you're biting off more than you can chew?"

"Not really. I know my bite sizes, Countess, and I like to call on others when they mismatch theirs. You said that you have never met Alucard. Well, if we are going just by the name, then of course, you have never met him. However… as they say, walls have ears, and pictures on the walls have eyes. Throughout my extensive research I got my hands on very interesting writings dating back to the sixteenth century. Prior to your historic days of carnage, you _have_, in fact, met the prince of Wallachia… on his own soil… you spent an evening in his castle, and then you were thrown out in the middle of the night…"

"This cannot be," the Countess gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, "No one could have possibly known that… no one should have cared enough to turn that into a hidden page of history… just another European royalty paying a visit to a Wallachian prince whom some people believed to have turned his back on the light of day. As if he ever had a shortage of that!"

"Well, you're right, he probably hadn't had shortage of _that_," Markus grinned, "But how many of those royal, Darkness-admiring buds had _bloomed_ into terrifying, bloodthirsty, carnivorous flowers later on? Who knows, maybe he himself wanted to take a little credit. After all, he does have perfect memory, doesn't he? But there is no use in speculating about how history got that account. The important thing is that it _did_ happen. You _have_ met him. And I presume that you got from him something very different than what you came to him for. I am correct, Countess?

She didn't respond right away. Looking at the Moon, she smiled softly and sighed.

"You know, mister Alhambra, I need to take back what I said about you," she said, "You are nothing but a presumptuous, shameless, pathetic excuse for a man. You come here and start telling me about my past life with such an attitude as if you have personally violated me and thought that that was an ingenious achievement; and then you probe my old, never-healing wound; and then you pour a little bit of salt on it. I may be centuries-old, but I'm a still a woman. Honestly, what do you expect me to do now? Spring into action like an old dog that had its bad paw stepped on? Was that how you thought that everything would work?"

"Please, Countess, don't be jumping into conclusions without hearing the main part," Markus replied calmly, "I'm sorry that you feel that way, but that's because you constructed an incorrect perception of the situation and then got offended by it. I'm sure that you would love to hear the most important thing behind all that."

"Which is?"

"Well, as you know, the disappearance of Alucard thirty years ago was a result of a cheap yet interesting trick. He absorbed the nature of a creature with very peculiar abilities. The Millennium's warrant officer Schrödinger was only present in this world if he was aware of his own existence. Having unknowingly added such quality to his nature, Alucard fell into the trap. Being a mixture of a multitude of essences, he was no longer aware of his own existence in this world. Hence, he disappeared, becoming lost in his own world. Cheap, pathetic, yet a very witty way to put him on hold for some time, don't you think? But he returned. And the only way that he could have done that would be if he became solitary – both in his essence and in his mind. Which means, of course, that he destroyed all the other essences in his world. Furthermore, to remain present in _this_ world, he has to stay this way. He has to stay solitary. Putting all that in concrete terms, he…"

"He destroyed all his familiars and can no longer have any," the Countess finished the sentence.

"Correct," Markus smirked, "I don't claim to be an expert on vampires, but it has always been my understanding that the majority of a vampire's powers come from and are locked within that vampire's familiars…"

"That would be a very simplistic way to put, but yes," the Countess nodded, "Familiars pretty much constitute what a vampire _is _– a pool of souls. For a vampire to lack familiars and being unable to have any is like for a guard dog to lack teeth: the majority of power is just not there… Hmm… mister Alhambra, don't you think that information like that must come of first? Just out of curiosity, what has happened between you and Alucard that drove you to searching through those God-forsaken pages of history, to thinking about things which most humans neither know nor care about, to seeking contact with _creatures of my stature_, as you yourself called me? You seem too young to have been able to meet Alucard in person. How old are you, mister Alhambra?"

"Thirty-seven," he responded dryly, "And you are right, I haven't had a chance to him in person. Nevertheless, he was the one who completely destroyed my life thirty years ago – when he took my father's life."

"I see… well, I must tell you that if only all other humans, from whom he has taken, were as vengeful, persistent, opportunistic and wily as you are – he would have been erased from existence centuries ago. And so would _I_, for that matter…"

"I take it that we have found common ground on the matter?" Markus smiled.

"Perhaps," she replied contently, "After all, call of vengeance is one of the easiest to awaken when the time is right. However, I presume that you do not just consider me an assassin… I would be offended, to tell you the truth. And you don't seem like a person for whom simply killing the object of his hatred would be enough. Since you have apparently spent years to research what you know now, I assume that your brain has been crafting some remarkably devious plot at the same time. And I suspect that I'm not the only figure in that plot. While I don't really care who the others are, I want to be sure that _my_ role satisfies _me_. I will not take something that cuts _me_ short of what _I_ want. I hope that I've made that clear, mister Alhambra. Now, what is that you need from _me_?"

"Well, I'm truly grateful that you brought that up, Countess. Because I want us to be on the same page from the very beginning – for obvious reasons. For one, you will be doing me a great favor, and my best possible gratitude would be making sure that you get what you are bargaining for. Aside from the money, of course. Speaking of money, by the way, I'd like to say that the price for your services is no object…"

"Spoken like a true dealer, mister Alhambra. As they say, the only thing more enjoyable than doing something for the pleasure of it is doing something for the pleasure of it and getting paid for that."

"My thoughts exactly," Markus smirked, "And secondly, I want us to be on the same page because I'd rather simply die than have a _creature of your stature _as my enemy.

"I'm glad that you understand the implications."

"Of course. But as far as your contribution to my plan, Countress, I need to come clear right away so that we can either come to an agreement of part our ways _now_. Your role in my plan is for you to fight Alucard, but not kill him…"

"Hm…" she pondered, "I don't understand."

"I'll explain. You were right when you said that you thought that I didn't just want Alucard dead. _His _death is not my objective. His own life by itself is meaningless to him, and stripping him of his existence will not be enough to satisfy _my_ call for vengeance. He took my father, forcing me to live through such personal tragedy and suffer. I want the same faith to befall him. There are people in this world who are dear to him. Two women, to be specific. I'm sure that you understand whom I talking about, Contress. I'm talking about Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing and Seras Victoria. The fact that he returned to them after thirty years of wandering in his own world can only mean one thing – he cherishes them. No monster is ever fully a monster. He has deep feelings for them. Taking those two women from him will cause him the equivalent of pain that he caused to me. His death is not what I'm after. I'm after his suffering. But in order for me to be able to target Integra Hellsing and Seras Victoria, I need Alucard out of the way. And that's where you come in, Countess. Fighting him and delaying him until the right moment – that is _your_ role in my plan, Countess. How you get to that point is entirely up to you, as long as it doesn't compromise the rest of the plan, which I'm going to explain later. However, once everything comes to its successful conclusion, there will be nothing to stop you from satisfying _your_ desires, right?"

The Countess laughed so loudly and echoingly that Markus instinctively looked around, making sure that nobody else was nearby. At the same time, he was wondering what could have possibly amused her so much. As she stopped laughing, she looked at him with such a wicked grin on her face that it startled him.

"So, you want me to take part in destroying his pathetic sentiments, which will satisfy your desires, and then you want to leave his devastated existence to me, so that I can destroy _it_?" she asked.

"Well… that would be the implication," Markus replied somewhat hesitantly.

She laughed again, appearing very excited.

"Are you a human, mister Alhambra? You can consider it a trick question. You are human in your body, but you are quite a monster in your mind and heart. You can take it as a compliment or condemnation – I don't really care."

"Well, we all have our monsters inside of us, don't we?" Markus smirked, "And you never know what can awaken them."

"Please, don't make excuses for yourself," the Countess chuckled, "You _are_ quite a monster, mister Alhambra. Fortunately for you, hatred and cruelty are the only two things that have guided me through this world for the most of my centuries-worth life."

"Are you implying that…"

"Yes, mister Alhambra. If these are you terms, then we have a deal. After all, total annihilation of Hellsing will certainly be a desired spin-off for me. So many doors will fly-open… but that's not your concern, I suppose."

"Whatever you can make out of it will be just yours," Markus smiled, "Excellent, then. I'm glad that we have come to an agreement. I hate to sound presumptuous again, but it's great doing business with you, Countess. As of now, my decades-worth plan has been set into motion. I will ask Alejandro to arrange us another meeting in a couple of days so that I can give you the specifics. Unless, of course, you prefer to eliminate the 'middle man'…"

"Whatever suits you best, mister Alhambra," she replied, "I will be waiting. In the meantime, I will think of a way to lure Alucard out of his human-made lair. As you said, it was up to me how I did that. I hope that you will not go back on your word if my methods turn out to be unexpectedly brutal... "

In his usual composed pace, Bennett walked into Integra's office, bowing his head in acknowledgement and carrying something wrapped in plastic.

"So, how much in the dark are we, Bennett?" she asked, looking at him.

"Well, I'm sorry to say, ma'am, but we pretty much _are _in the dark," he replied softly and put the package on her table.

At that moment, Alucard appeared on the outer side of the doorway, and then walked in.

"Good evening, Master," he bowed, removing his hat.

"Oh, how nice of you, Alucard," Integra smirked, "Using your powers in a tactful way. That doesn't startle me nearly as much. Good evening. I just wish that Seras realized that even after thirty years my heart skips a beat every time when she pops out of nowhere…"

"Like this!?"

Integra and Bennett shuddered instinctively and looked up. Seras's head was sticking down from the ceiling. Grinning mischievously, she let the rest of her body slip into the room and landed on her feet on the floor.

"Good evening, Sir Integra."

"Yes, Seras, good evening," Integra sighed, "I guess, you will just keep on doing that until you give me a heart attack one day."

"Oh… I'm sorry… I'm just trying to keep you alert, as always," Seras muttered.

"Well, I've told you many times before – I'm not a young woman anymore, Seras. I guess, being a vampire around humans, you don't notice that others age – because _you_ don't. You are just the way you where thirty years ago, while I… well, let's just say that things that used to keep me alert _then_ can give me a heart attack _now_…"

Feeling that the conversation was taking a very unpleasant route for Integra, Bennett hurried to abruptly yet cleverly and somewhat humorously change subject.

"By the way, miss Victoria, I have yet to understand how you managed to get '_evidence_'of your last-night bloodbath all the way down inside the barrel of your gun. I hope you understand that attaching a bayonet to the muzzle doesn't turn the entire thing into a sword…"

Under normal circumstances and among normal people, the gruesomeness of the implication of such remark would have produced utter disgust and shock. But among the core members of the Hellsing organization, it couldn't have been perceived as anything but a dark joke. Even Integra, who was trying as hard as she could to maintain her civility and not react, ended up smirking.

"Your nature wouldn't allow you to understand, Bennett," Alucard grinned, suddenly remembering his thirty-years-ago encounter with Rip Van Winkle, "When you are ready to kill and destroy, and everything else is out of your focus, you will use anything to accomplish your goal, as long as it fits the purpose of killing and destroying. Someone like you naturally would make sure that guns shoot, swords stab, and planes fly – as opposed to being crashed into decks of naval aircraft carriers… but that is why you are Hellsing's butler and not one its monsters… no offense is meant by that, of course…"

"None taken, of course," Bennet smiled, "You are absolutely right, mister Alucard. But where I wanted to go with that was that it took me two hours two clean your weapon, miss Victoria. I had to call in two of our weapons expert – for security purposes: one to disassemble the weapon, and the other to reassemble and test-fire it after I had cleaned all the parts. I'm not trying to fault you for being a vampire and having monstrous urges, of course, but I thought that, as token of your appreciation, you could help me with cleaning some of the large rooms of the estate. I have been putting that off for a quite a while, since most of them aren't used regularly, but we still need to get that done. As you can imagine, that antique furniture in them is quite heavy for a human. Furthermore, it needs to be moved very carefully. A gentleman doesn't usually say such things to a lady, but your condition effectively justifies me in doing so. I need your help moving the furniture. You can _literally_ do it with one arm… Can I count on you, miss Victoria?"

"Of course, Bennett," Seras nodded, smiling, "Just like many times before, I will help you with whatever you need, whenever you ask. Pick a day, and we can take care of that, as long as there are no assignments. As you know, I never mind doing casual human things…"

"Thank you, miss Victoria, I will get back to you on that as soon as we find out everything we can about that interesting toy that you and mister Alucard brought back last night…"

"I believe that that makes a perfect segue to the main part," Integra interrupted in a somewhat impatient tone of voice, "What are your findings so far, Bennett? I'm sure that we all would like to know."

"Certainly, ma'am," Bennett nodded, "Well, as I was saying, we have pretty much nothing at the moment. It's a silver-tipped crossbow bolt. The results of chemical trace analysis hint strongly towards Poland as the origin of silver itself. Other than that – no markings or identifiers of any kind to suggest the manufacturer. With regards to ballistics – the bolt is heavier than any of those that are currently available on the open market. Furthermore, considering it's specifications, it doesn't appear to be suitable for use with any of the commercially available modernized crossbows. None of them have a hurling mechanism that is powerful enough to fire a bolt of such weight with adequate effectiveness. Therefore, it would be fairly reasonable to assume at this time that both the bolt and the weapon that fires it were custom-made. That most likely indicates that the owner is a professional. Remembering your orders, Sir Integra, I have not utilized any of our underground information networks until this point. With your permission, I'm ready to involve those resources as well."

"I'll allow it," Integra nodded, "But be very careful, Bennett. And let me know as soon as you find out anything of value."

"Of course, ma'am."

"So, a freelancer?" Seras said ponderingly.

"Well, if I were forced to opine right at this moment, I'd say yes," Bennett nodded.

"A freelancer?" Alucard wondered.

"A 'freelancer' is how we loosely term all underground monster hunters nowadays," Integra said, "Any monster-hunting organization or individual monster hunter that aspires to become somebody in this field of work tend to want themselves to be officially recognized. 'Officially recognized' does not mean 'openly known,' of course. Such organizations and individual register themselves with the designated division of His Majesty's Secret Service. Basically, that means that they make their work transparent for the Secret Service and share any information that may be vital to the national security. In exchange, they get access to national databases and top-level immunities. Freelancers, on the other hand, are underground monster hunters. The only common thing about them is that they hunt monsters. Other than that – it's all fair game to them. They may be individuals or groups; they may be humans, or they may be monsters themselves; they have different motives, different weapons, different tactics, different expertise. As you can well imagine, there should be an ever-changing pool of amateurs and enthusiasts, most of whom don't live long enough to become experts. And even those who do become experts usually remain underground, because they have something about them that doesn't allow them to come clean before the Government. They may even be criminals themselves. Needless to say, freelancers want their existence to remain a secret, and they do their best to make sure that it does. Modernized crossbows and bows, for example, seem to be among their favorite weapons, because their vast availability and lack of regulations make it impossible to control the sales. And silver-tipped bolts and arrows can always be specially ordered. After all, we are living in the "anything for your money" time. Furthermore, bolts and arrows themselves are virtually untraceable. With regards to Hellsing's take on the freelancers – we don't concern ourselves with them unless requested by His Majesty _or_ unless they wander into our domain. And I believe that the latter is the case in our situation…"

"Do you really think so, ma'am?" Bennett asked.

"Among other possible explanations, yes," Integra nodded, "Why was that person there? To hunt? If so, did he – for some reason I think that that a male – did he hope to take an army of ghouls with a crossbow? Or had he run into more than what he had bargained for? Dealing with supernatural business in rural areas better suits professional monster hunters. If he was a professional, then he should have understood that the situation was beyond his control and would have at least made a decision not to get involved. But he did. And there was clearly no need for that at that point, according to what Alucard and Seras reported. To me, it appears that that person was observing. And if so, the next question is what his role was in the ordeal itself. Did he just come across it and decided to check out what was going on? Or did he create it himself? Either way, I don't like this development one bit."

"He was a vampire," Alucard said, "I felt traces of his essence… but he was long gone by then…"

"I like it even less now," Integra replied angrily, "All I can tell you at this point… Alucard, Seras… and even Bennett… stay on your guard at all times. Nothing goes without my approval. That's an order. Something is definitely not right about all that. All right, that will be all for now, you are free to go. And Bennett…"

"Ma'am?"

"I need information as soon as possible. Anything that you find must be on my table at once."

"Of course, ma'am."

They walked out the office, and Bennett immediately headed downstairs. Alucard, on his way to the dining room, glanced over his shoulder at Seras.

"Seras?"

"Master?" she looked at him.

"Have you already had your daily minimum of blood today?"

"Eh… yes, I did," she replied somewhat hesitantly, "And Bennett can confirm that if you…"

"I believe you," he smirked, "I was just wondering if you cared for another one. With me."

"Eh… why not."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

While she wasn't at all hungry, refusing Alucard's offer did not even cross her mind. They proceeded to the dining room, where Bennett had thoughtfully left several blood packs in the ice bucket. Expecting that Alucard would be watching her drink, Seras went over to the dinnerware supply cabinet and took a straw to make it more comfortable for herself. He, however, seemed to be deeply occupied with something else to the point where he lifted his goblet up to his mouth but didn't start drinking.

"Is everything all right, Master? What's the matter?" she finally asked, putting her goblet back on the table.

"It would seem that, for a creature of Darkness, being in the dark would be satisfying for me," he replied sternly, "But not in this case. Somehow I feel that my return has stirred something somewhere. It's as if I walked into a minefield: I know that there are mines all over the place – I just don't know where they are. As Master said, be on your guard and don't make any moves until you have been cleared to do so, Seras. _I_ can survive through _any_ explosion on that minefield. However, that minefield may not have been set just for me…"

"So, you also think that that was not a coincidence, Master?"

"It may be or it may not be. But you should expect the worst, Seras. And don't hope for the best. Being able to hope is a useless human virtue. Believing that something could happen just because you want it to happen is a certain way to fool yourself into a false sense of security. I'm sure that you can remember quite a few examples of that…"

"Yes, Master."

It was just past midday when Markus got out of a cab at the edge of the city of Saint-Petersburg. He soon realized that it was impossible to follow the directions of the cab driver, who kept mixing English and Russian words together while quickly pointing in all possible directions. Using his gut feeling, he eventually figured out the layout of the buildings by himself and found the right entrance. He took the poorly lighted stairway to the forth floor and knocked on the door on the left. As he heard the approaching sound of footsteps, he backed away. A wide-shouldered man, seemingly in his mid-forties, opened the door and made a silent gesture, inviting Markus to come in.

"H-hello," Markus greeted the man, slightly surprised by the kind welcome that we was receiving, "I presume that you are Vseslav? I'm Markus Alhambra… I called you yesterday. I hope that it wasn't too late by your time…"

"Would you like a cup of tea, mister Alhambra? I was about to myself have a nice warm cup," the man asked calmly.

"Y-yes, thank you."

The man closed the door behind Markus and then proceeded through the hallway into the kitchen. Markus followed. The kitchen was representative of the apartment itself – neat but very small and without much to look at. It appeared that the tendency to keep up with time has left the place in the last decade of the past century. Even the teapot that man put on the table looked nearly antique.

"Do you prefer black, green, or, perhaps, herbal?"

"Eh… black would be fine, thank you," Markus replied, feeling more and more uneasy.

The thought that he had made a mistake was not leaving his mind, but at the same time he realized that the very awkwardness of the situation was a sure indicator that there was no mistake. He once again tried to confirm his guess.

"So, you are Vseslav, right?" he asked, "I hope that you don't take it as an offense, but I expected you to have a much thicker accent. I'm not a native English speaker myself, but…"

"Oh, so you expected the famous Russian 'our mouths and tongues are too crude for your milky sounds'- kind of talk?" the man replied apathetically, getting the cups from the shelf, "Well, not from me. I speak ten languages as if they were native to me."

That response reassured Markus.

"You must have a great deal of time on your hands," he smiled.

"You can say that."

The man poured the hot water into two cups and then started swirling his tea with a spoon. Markus proceeded to do the same.

"Would you like something to your tea, mister Alhambra? A cookie, perhaps?"

"No… no, thank you."

"Suit yourself."

After the man finished swirling the tea, he picked up the cup, had a few slow sips and then put the cup back down. He then looked at Markus and smirked.

"You patience, mister Alhambra, tells me two things. One is that, you still believe that you have done your research correctly and that you have found the person for which you have been looking for. And as long as that proposition holds, then the second thing is also true – the person who has done that much research in order to find me may have interesting to me. I suppose that long introductions are unnecessary at that point, and I will save you time by not asking you how you managed to narrow your research down to my door and what you have discovered during the process. I am Vseslav. I am the one who you were looking for."

"I see. So, you are the one," Markus smiled contently, "I have to say that even though I didn't doubt that my research would lead me to you, I still find it hard to believe that it did. Vseslav the Sorcerer, the cursed ruler of Polotsk Princedom in the eleventh century is sitting in front of me and drinking tea."

"Don't invoke unjustified titles that have been assigned to me without my consent, mister Alhambra," Vseslav said dryly, "I'm not a sorcerer and I have never been one. I just can _do_ things that humans cannot. I suppose that that was a good reason for people to call me a sorcerer back in the days, but those times have been long gone. If the same justifications applied in today's life, then every fanged punk on the street who could drain you dry while robbing you would have been called a sorcerer. Secondly, there has never been anything cursed about me. My mother was bitten by a wolf while she was pregnant with me. It was an accident, not a curse. I was _born_ a werewolf, I didn't become one on someone's magical word – not that something like that is possible anyway. Although, I suppose that being born a werewolf to a mother who has been bitten by a wolf can be considered a curse. But I don't see it that way. I just see it as the way of nature. And the truth is that the story about the wolf was only known within the family. Nor there have been many instances for others to find out about my true nature. But humans… Yes, humans invent so many explanations for things that they don't understand. It would be much easier if they lived without trying to rationalize everything. If you insist on attaching a title to my name, make it _Vseslav the Seer_. Another one of my nicknames. Still doesn't represent the truth, but doesn't sound so omnipotent."

"Of course. Right. Vseslav the Seer. So… you were born a werewolf… I didn't know that… but then… how should I put it… then you do age, right? And you do… human things…"

"In my thirties I looked like I was in my thirties. And now, almost a thousand years later, I look like this. Consider it 'aging' if you wish. I call it nature's way of saying that nothing is truly eternal," Vseslav smirked, "And with regards to 'human things'… I'm a monster who has been brought into this world to be a man. All I can do is try to be one. It's like having a chick born to a family of ducks. Eventually, it will try to swim. And I have had a thousand years to learn something that a human has far less then a century to learn… and I'm still learning…"

"Hmm… You are the most unusual monster out of all those that I have ever met," Markus said ponderingly, "I hope that I'm not offending you by saying that."

"Only fools are offended by truth," Vseslav replied, "And I suspect that you haven't met many monsters, either. Especially those for whom the _choice_ had been made without their consent."

"Well, yes, I guess you are right. And… I… I don't know how to ask that," Markus muttered hesitantly, "But could you possibly… eh…"

"Show you something as proof?" Vseslav grinned.

"Eh… yes. But not as a proof… I'm just curious… If I can call it that..."

"Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. But you are no cat, mister Alhambra, and I have no reasons to kill you. Not yet, al least. So, there you go…"

The man's head suddenly transformed. The horrid sight of bestial snout with wide-open jaw and a row of monstrous teeth inside it made Markus's body jerked backwards instinctively so hard that he almost fell from his chair. When he looked up again – Vseslav's face had already regained its human appearance.

"Satisfied?"

"More than," Markus replied nervously, feeling his heart racing.

"I hope you didn't wet yourself," Vseslav smirked, "I would be really upset if I had to throw away that cushioned chair."

"N-no, nothing like that, of course."

"So, now that you have confirmed for yourself that I'm the one who _you_ need, why don't we skip to the part where I understand why _I_ need _you_, mister Alhambra. If you haven't yet realized by now, I need nothing from this world except for one thing – amusement. Throughout my millennium-long life, I have had everything that a man could ever have and want – power, wealth, women. I have made wars and lived in piece. I have done anything and everything that a man can ever do in this world. And if there is one thing that I have understood over the course of my life is that there is a reason why the lifespan of a human is so short. Because there is not enough to do in this world. There will never be enough. Unfortunately for me, I have always been rather unimaginative when it came to making life interesting for myself. There is no doubt that you can tell that from seeing how I live. As you can imagine, living such long life and not being able to make fun of it is nothing short of torture for someone like me. Therefore, I have always been eager to take part in action that had been stirred by somebody else. And that's where people like you come in, mister Alhambra. I have always welcomed an opportunity to act on someone's whim if I could get enjoyment from that. Whatever you need from me, it must be able to excite me. It must be able to put me on the edge. It must be able to start a fire within me that will make me want to cast aside these human looks yet again. It must be able to remind me of who I truly am. Now, mister Alhambra, tell me, are you able to awaken me? What do you have in mind that will make me want to lend you my powers?"

"Well, if you want to put it that way, then my cause is well worth your powers, Vseslav," Markus smirked, "Not to outdo the ones who came to you before me, but I believe that I have something very special for you."

"Is that so? All right, then. I didn't put the words into your mouth, so now I expect you to back them up."

"I'll do my best. I assume that there is no need to ask someone like you if you are familiar with the Hellsing organization, right? Specifically, you must be familiar with the names of those who comprise its core – Integra Hellsing, Seras Victoria and Alucard."

"Don't call _him_ by that name, mister Alhambra," Vseslav interrupted sternly, "It doesn't do him justice. Hellsing invented that name for him in attempt to hide his true nature behind it. But seriously, it is quite pathetic to try and hide centuries of a monster's life by simply inverting his name. He is Vlad the Impaler, he is Dracula, he is the prince of Wallachia, a monster who has consumed millions in his lifetime, including his own subjects –and no silly name reversal can change that. But hasn't he disappeared after that maniacal Nazi major invaded London thirty years ago? You are not trying to tell me that he has returned, are you? As you have probably understood already, I don't care much for the current news anymore – either in human or in monster world. However, his return wouldn't surprise me one bit."

"Yes, he has returned," Markus nodded, "And while you maintain that he should not be called 'Alucard' – that is truly what he is right now. He is only a shred of his former self. He is no longer Dracula, the prince of Wallachia. Because in order to return to this world he had to destroy his own. He had to demolish everything that he had ever had. He is no longer a monster that you think he is… He is not Dracula anymore… at least, not in the sense in which you see him being Dracula… he is just Alucard…"

Vseslav smiled. He picked up his cup, took a few more of slow sips, and then put the cup back on the table. At the same time, he was giving Markus a long, fixed stare.

"You are a fool, mister Alhambra," he finally said, "A presumptuous, ignorant fool. You behave as if you know what he is all about… as if you know what all monsters are all about. In truth, however, you know nothing. If you think that he sacrificed something important in order to return to this world, then you are quite mistaken. He might have destroyed his own world, as you say, but that doesn't mean that he destroyed his powers along with it. Only a fool would have done that. And prince of Wallachia, who has enjoyed his existence in this world to the fullest for centuries doesn't strike me as a fool, mister Alhambra. Having your powers locked within millions of familiars is not strength. It is weakness. And anyone who thinks otherwise, human or monster, is just a fool. Dracula had been put in the situation where he had to destroy his familiars in order to continue his existence in this world. He had thirty years to figure out how to extract powers that he needed, from essences of his familiars, and lock them within his own essence. That's what I would have done, at least. If anything, to him that was an opportunity to work towards perfection of his nature. That opportunity tolled him thirty years of his life, but what is thirty years for somebody like him? "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger," as they say. And, as a monster who has been walking this Earth for millennium, I say that if he hadn't been killed, then he returned stronger than he was."

Markus didn't respond right away. He seemed taken aback by what he had just heard. Trying to ease his nervousness, he looked at his cup and even reached for it, but then pulled his hand back.

"I… I have never thought of it that way… I had no idea," he said ponderingly.

"Well, I'm not really surprised by that, to be honest. What I just told you is beyond the realm of human thinking. I called you a fool because you acted so pompously thinking that you knew everything, not because you didn't know. How could you know, after all? However… It will just be more interesting this way," Vseslav grinned wickedly, "Unless, of course, your plans with regards to Dracula are just as ignorantly pretentious as your understanding of his nature. You want to target him in one way or another, I presume?"

"Well, yes…" Markus replied somewhat hesitantly, "I just didn't expect you to go straight to the point like that. Aluc… Dracula is not the only target of my plan. In fact, he is not even the main figure in it."

"Hm… how interesting. Go on."

"I probably should take that back," Markus said ponderingly, "He _is_, of course, the main figure in my plan, but I don't want to _target_ him in a way that _you_ may be thinking about it. You see, he killed my father thirty years ago, when I was seven years old. At that time, my father was the only close person to me. Losing him put me through hell, and I will never be able to rest until I properly avenge his death. In this case, I believe that _proper _payback would be making Dracula suffer the same way in which I did. I want him to suffer through the loss of people that are closest to him. Monster or not, he does have such people. They are Integra Hellsing and Seras Victoria. He returned to _them _after all these years, and that means that they are important to him. And now that he has just restored those ties after such a long wait, the moment is perfect to sever them forever. You, Vseslav, have the most important role in my plan. I want you to be the one who severs those ties. I want you to end Seras Victoria's afterlife before his eyes. And, depending on the situation, I want you two end Integra Hellsing's life before his eyes as well. I want him to suffer just like I did. I understand that those actions by themselves may not be of much interest to you, but the further development will most certainly be, don't you think?"

Vseslav's deep and echoing laugher was so loud that it seemed to Markus that the windows began to resonate slightly. The entire situation reminded him about his meeting with the Countess several days ago. It also occurred to him at that point that he knew what response he was about to hear.

"So, you expect me to kill a woman – possibly even two of them, and you want me to allow Dracula to witness their demise by my hand. And then you want to leave it entirely to me to decide how I should deal with his utterly enraged self."

"That would be the implication, yes," Markus nodded, "But if you don't think that your are up for it, then…"

"Who said that I wasn't up for it?" Vseslav smirked, "It's just that I'm beginning to wonder at this point – who is supposed to be a monster here, among the two of us?"

"I've heard something along those lines not so long ago," Markus grinned.

"As they say, if you hear the same thing from different people, they probably have a point."

"Then I'm just fine with that, I suppose. I've been thinking about it, and I realized that I don't have to be human to someone who wasn't human to me. A monster deserves to be treated like a monster, that's what I believe."

"To be honest, mister Alhambra, I don't care how you rationalize your behavior. Whether you are truly a human or a monster doesn't matter one bit to me. What matters to me is that _I_ am a monster, and your agenda seems to go along with mine in this case. I'm sure that you have prepared a very interesting plan, and I'm eager to hear the details. But before we go into that, there is one particular thing that I will need to know."

"Yes?"

"Seras Victoria. She has been a full-fledged substitute for Dracula as Hellsing's main supernatural force in the past thirty years, as I understand. She is quite a famous figure in the dark world – among those who care. However, it seems to remain a mystery how she has come to that point. I'm curious as to how Hellsing acquired her and what turned her to demonic side."

"Say no more," Markus smiled.

He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, pulled out a folded sheet of paper and handed it to Vseslav.

"What is this?"

"Just a printout from electronic archives of a very enthusiastic occult community in Britain. Largely unknown to the majority of Brits, let alone the rest of the world, the group has been operating for almost forty years already. Actually, 'operating' is a strong word. Their main objective, as I understand, is to collect information on everything supernatural around us. Essentially, they consider themselves sort of a supernatural awareness group or something like that. They have their information available for those who know where to look. Quite a useful resource for those who decide to stop being ignorant one day and will begin looking for answers, don't you think? So, anyway, I was unable to find any useful information on Seras Victoria until I came across their archives. Apparently, there was a devastating vampire attack in the British village of Cheddar thirty years ago. Naturally, the authorities made a series of unbelievable excuses in order to hide the truth from the public. But the deal was that a vampire, posing as a priest, turned the majority of villagers into ghouls – and did the same with the police who tried to resolve the situation. In the morning, the grounds were thoroughly searched, but nobody was found. So, they reported everyone missing. Among them was Seras Victoria, a police officer assigned to the precinct. I suppose, it would be reasonable to deduce that…"

"She is _his_," Vseslav smirked, "Of course, who else but _him_ would put an end to that bloodbath on that night? And when he ran across her… well, it doesn't matter _why _he let her join the demonic world, but it was _him_.If she had already been made into a vampire by that priest – she would be dead like the rest. Dracula would never bother with others' pets. But then her existence makes much more sense, I suppose. Her powers, as I understand, rank her among the exclusive category of vampires. That has to be a given, considering that her host is Dracula himself. And that makes everything very, very interesting, mister Alhambra. However, if we are to proceed with your plan, I have a condition of my own."

"As long as it doesn't compromise anything…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I just think that it would be selfish of me not to share the amusement with my son."

"Why, of course," Markus said ponderingly, "I didn't realize until this point that since you a werewolf, then six of your sons must be…"

"All of them are dead," Vseslav replied coldly, "Each of them found his match before the fifteenth century. I just had another one… later on… after all, I'm still a creature of nature… and I have lived on this Earth for a thousand years already… "

"My apologies…"

"It's nature's way, mister Alhambra."

"I suppose. But yes, you can certainly bring your son along, Vseslav. I only see it beneficial to the task. As long as it suits both of you, of course…"

"Excellent. Now, let's get to the details, shall we?"

"Actually, we will have to wait a little bit on that," Markus said somewhat hesitantly.

He reached into the other inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out an envelope.

"You will find all current instructions here. You and your son will need to make your way to London in the next couple of days. I still have some unfinished business before I can set the definite course of action for all of you. I have dreamed of this development for many years. I have to make sure that everything is perfect before we proceed. As of right now, I expect that the time will be Friday at _nightfall_. Also… it's interesting to know, and I certainly hadn't planned it that way, but the Moon will be full on that day. Quite symbolic, don't you think, Vseslav?"

"Hm… quite interesting, indeed," Vseslav smirked, "I will be waiting. So then, I presume that we are done for now, mister Alhambra?"

"Yes, it would appear so," Markus nodded with a smile, "I understand that I might have already taken quite a bit of you time, so I'm not going to hold you any longer."

"No, it's quite all right. I just realized that it might take me a little bit of time and effort to locate my son. You see, he is not nearly as much settled down as I am. But I believe that he will be very interested in this whole business."

"And speaking of business, I must say that it is quite a pleasure doing business with you, Vseslav. Even such an unusual business."

"Likewise, mister Alhambra, likewise," Vseslav grinned, "Common interest is the best engine of cooperation, as they say. Let me walk you to the door."

Both of them stood up and headed towards the front.

"Thank you again, Vseslav the Seer," Markus said as he was about to walk out, "I look forward to reconnecting with you in London."

"And I do as well."

As soon as Vseslav closed the door behind Markus, the wide grin immediately disappeared from his face. He returned to the kitchen and proceeded to drink his cooling tea. After a few slow sips he put his cup back on the table.

"Life is such a paradox isn't it, Markus Alhambra?" he said gravely, "One doesn't have to be a monster in order to have a black heart, but if one _is _a monster – a black heart is simply expected. Fortunately for you, your pathetic ambitions seem to go along with what I have longed for so much, otherwise your thick scull would have joined my private shelf collection. Also, letting you live a while longer makes me feel better. After all, with monsters like you running around, I feel almost human…"

Standing in front of captain Bernadotte's gravestone, Seras leaned over and dropped a bouquet of white chrysanthemums before it.

"I'm not so good at choosing flowers, but these seem to be fitting of the occasion, I think," she muttered.

"I hope that you are not going to drop a tear, because I have told you before not to waste them on a mercenary, Seras. Besides, you're making me feel as if I'm truly dead, stop that!" she heard Pip's teasing voice in her mind.

"Oh, hi, captain. Long time no hear," she smiled, "It has been what? Three months?"

"Yeah, sounds about right. Well, I try to pop up every now and then, you know. I don't want to bother you too much, otherwise you will cry about invasion of privacy and stuff like that. You have always been touchy about that sort of things, remember?"

"Is that so?" she smirked, "So, it was _my_ problem that were going overboard most of the time with the jokes and everything…"

"Ha-ha-ha! You may have a point there, Seras. But anyway, what's with sentiments today?"

"Well," she sighed, "It's not really just for you, captain, no offense. Bennett and I were cleaning the mansion today, and that antique furniture… well, most of it is not for décor anymore, but more for memories. Sir Integra and I decided to keep everything that we found in a more-or-less decent condition. And when I was looking at it today, it made me think of that night. The attack, the Wild Geese, you…"

"Yeah, that was some night, eh? We could have done a lot of things differently, I suppose. And the Wild Geese… yeah, what a fine bunch they were. But they knew what they had signed up for. Come to think of it, the ones who whined the most were the only ones to survive, ha-ha! I sometimes wonder… if you drank them all in, like you did with me, I would have some company here, Seras. Your world is enormous, and I like traveling around, but sometimes I feel a little lonely…"

"We have already talked about that, captain," she smiled, "I don't want to drink anyone else in because it doesn't feel right to me. First of all, I don't want to drink something that I might regret later. Like what happened with Master. Secondly, I don't think that an essence of my opponent, whoever it may be, could actually be a good company to you. Thirdly, I don't want to take anyone's essence by force and trap it inside me. You offered yours to me, so that was different. And finally, do you really want to share your space with anyone else? Tell me the truth, captain. My world is your space now, after all."

"Aha-ha-ha-ha! You got me once again, Seras! No, I'd rather feel lonely once in a while than share all _this_ with somebody else!"

Seras smiled sadly, looking at the gravestone. As the gust of evening wind tore a few petals from the chrysanthemums and carried them away, she raised her head and observed their flight in slow motion.

"Captain?"

"What is it, Seras?"

"I need to ask you something, now that you are here."

"Yes?"

"Is it wrong that I enjoy my monstrous rage when I'm killing and destroying my enemies? Part of me is asleep at that time, but I know that in those moments I feel great tearing my opponents apart, even though I'm not fully aware of it."

"Hm… well, that rage certainly spices up your looks…"

"Captain!"

"Ha-ha-ha, apologies, Seras. I'm just an honest and straightforward guy about things like that. But I don't think that I'm the right person for you to be asking such a question. I am a mercenary in the _ninth_ generation, remember? Asking me if it is wrong to enjoy tearing somebody apart is like asking a wild goose if it is wrong to enjoy the skies. Come to think of it, you have drunk my nature into yourself, so you shouldn't really be bothering yourself with questions like that. You can't expect to drink in a mercenary in the ninth generation and want to behave like a catholic nun afterwards."

"Yeah, I suppose," she sighed.

"You are overthinking it, Seras. But if you still want my opinion, and I will try to be as impartial as I can, then there are two things that I want to tell you. First, don't forget who you are. You are a vampire, Seras. You are not human. There is a good deal of human in you, but you are still a vampire. And, from what I understand after living as a part of your for thirty years, enjoying monstrosity is in the nature of a vampire. You enjoy it like most humans enjoy sunlight. You don't enjoy sunlight as a vampire. In fact, it may hurt you, right? But you don't judge humans on the basis that they like something that you cannot stand as a vampire, right? So, what right do humans have to judge something that comes with vampiric nature, which they don't have? You, a vampire, are trying to evaluate yourself from a standpoint of a human. You cannot do that, Seras. It doesn't do you justice. If you want to judge yourself, you need to apply appropriate criteria to the matter. For example, I think that you are perfect _as a vampire_, and that monstrous rage of yours is as wonderful as it can be. And I also think that that human portion that is left in you is perfect from _human_ standpoint. You are kind and caring when there is a need for that. You cannot just look though human glasses at the blend of human and vampire natures that makes you who you are. The right way to put it, I think, would be that you have taken the best from your vampiric nature, and you have retained the best from your human nature. If you ask me, that is a perfect way to be a monster, Seras. Not that I know much about monsters, but still. And secondly, think who it is that you kill. The majority of your targets are monsters that cause trouble for humans, right? Whether they do that of their own accord or because they have been turned into tools of wicked ambitions of other monsters doesn't truly matter. In the end, killing them serves the greater good… if such a thing still exists in the world, that is. I bet that many would say that Hellsing's way of serving greater good is not normal, but who sets the standards of normality? Somebody still has to venture in the realms into which most people don't even believe. And I see nothing wrong with you taking pleasure in it. Come to think of it, through Hellsing you get to satisfy your monstrous urges by turning them against evil, don't you, Seras? Who knows what could have happened if you didn't have a chance to once in a while tear to shreds someone who deserved it. Could your monstrous urge turn against someone who hasn't done anything wrong? Could you yourself turn into one of those monsters against whom you fight? I don't think so, but who knows what your vampiric side is capable of? So, don't get thoughts like that into your head, all right? You go into monstrous rage while killing those who have to die, and you like it – who cares? I certainly don't. And I don't think that anyone else who is important to you does. Don't trouble your mind with nonsense, all right? You are good person, Seras, and that is all that matters."

"Thank you, captain," she smiled and looked at the evening sky, "Look, the Moon is about to rise. It will be full in a couple of days. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It sure is."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Seras returned to the mansion, she decided to walk to her room in the subbasement instead of blending in with her shadow in the walls. On her way, she ran into Bennett.

"Ah, miss Victoria," he smiled, apparently pleased with such convenient encounter, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you," she smiled back at him.

"Listen, miss Victoria, about earlier today… first of all, I really want to thank you for you help… I truly appreciated it. Secondly, I'd like to apologize…"

"Apologize? For what?"

"Why, for being so inconsiderate, of course. It's inexcusable that it had completely slipped my mind how emotionally difficult it is for you to be around those items…"

"Oh, it's nothing, really," she sighed, "Don't feel guilty about it. It is difficult for you also, isn't it?"

"Yes, but not nearly as much… after all, you were here when everything happened… and you took a major part in it…"

"Yeah, but… I'm still a woman, so I can allow myself a moment of sentiments once in a while, can't I? Besides, what are we supposed to do otherwise? Just let that furniture sit there and collect dust on and underneath just because I feel a little sad every time I walk into those rooms?"

"True, but I feel uneasy about the situation nonetheless. So, I have something for you… Actually, you may find it quite sentimental also, but still, I want you to have it."

"Oh? What it is?"

Bennett extended his hand towards Seras and opened his palm. In it was a souvenir badge in a shape of a bird. Seras leaned to examine it closer.

"What is it?"

"Well, it is actually quite a memorable item," Bennett replied softly, "My father gave it to me when I last saw him. He told me that all members of the Wild Geese got badges just like that after one of their missions. Apparently, it is supposed to be a wild goose… looks more like a swan to me… anyway, they wanted those badges to be sort of a joke emblem of their membership, or so my father told me…"

"Hm… it _is_ memorable... Are you sure that you want to give it to me, Bennett?"

"Yes, I want you to have it, miss Victoria," Bennett nodded and smiled, "I know that it will be just as important to you as it is to me. If fact, I thought that it would go quite well with your Hellsing uniform. You can put it on your front pocket, perhaps. I could never wear it because it didn't suit my style as a butler. And, needless to say, I have never been affiliated with the Wild Geese in any way, so it would be inappropriate for me to wear it. You, on the other hand… although you have never been a member officially… well, you know where I'm getting at, right?. No pressure, though…"

"Yeah, I guess… I would like to wear it," Seras muttered ponderingly.

As she reached for it, Bennett suddenly half-closed his palm, apparently having remembered something.

"Oh, wait… how could I? I must be getting old indeed. This is very awkward, miss Victoria…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… this badge is actually made of silver… it's hard to tell because it had darkened with time, but it is silver… this is truly very awkward… please, don't think anything of it, miss Victoria, I just completely forgot… I cannot believe that I was actually going to give you silver… if you want to reject, I certainly wouldn't be offended…"

"Calm down, Bennett, it's all," Seras smiled, "Actually, I think that it's quite symbolic. After all, it is a token of quite a painful memory, isn't it? I want to have it."

She took the badge from Bennett's palm, and it started smoking and sizzling in her hand. Overcoming pain and trying to keep her fingers from shaking, she managed to pin the badge on the outside of her front pocket.

"See, everything is fine. Thank you, I like it."

"You are just one of a kind, aren't you, miss Victoria?" Bennett smirked.

"Well, I cannot turn down such a meaningful and memorable gift just because it's made of silver, can I? Besides, I don't have to hold it all the time. It will be a pain to take it off before washing the uniform and then to pin in back afterwards, but I can deal with that. Besides, I usually wear gloves. Also, I just remembered – I have given Master a silver bullet from my gun after it had melted into the wall. He did take it, so what why _I_ refuse a gift made of silver?"

"Yes, I'd say that mister Alucard is also quite an unusual vampire. Of course, given his past history, that shouldn't come as a surprise."

"Is there _anything_ that is _usual_ about Hellsing, for that matter?" Seras joked good-naturedly, "We are an organization that uses vampires to hunt other vampires and monsters. Aside from our open armory that services our staff, we have an underground arsenal that could supply a platoon of soldiers, yet it is primarily used by a single individual who doesn't even know how to properly describe those weapons. We also have a butler who, aside from performing his typical duties, will gladly research information on monsters, fly a helicopter, order sophisticated weaponry and prepare medical blood for consumption by two vampires. He doesn't mind if the said vampires feed in his presence and will not feel uncomfortable one bit if he is asked to fetch a straw. Is there anything _normal_ at all about all that?"

"You do have a point, miss Victoria," Bennett smiled widely, successfully suppressing the urge to laugh.

Seras smiled as well, feeling the elevation of the overall mood. Not knowing where to proceed with the conversation, she decided to change the topic and talk about something else.

"By the way, how is your investigation going? Any luck?" she asked.

"You mean our 'questionable companion' during the last mission, I presume?"

"Yes."

"Well, as you imagine, there is little to go on – all we have as a customized crossbow bolt," Bennett replied, eagerly assuming his usual poise, "Our underground information feeds are coming in as we speak, but I don't expect anything clear-cut. Perhaps, names and affiliation of professional underground hunters. If we are lucky, then the customization of that bolt may turn out to be so unique that we would be able to track the maker, but I highly doubt that. On that note, there is something I've been wanting to ask you, miss Victoria."

"Yes?"

"Mister Alucard's report wasn't very specific, so I hoped that you could clarify some details for me. Why _did_ you have to snipe at the last vampire? How did he manage to run so far away to end up at the edge of the cemetery? Surely, with your speed, you could cover the distance between you and him within moments. Please don't take it the wrong way – I'm not questioning your tactics. I'm just curious."

"No, I understand," Seras replied somewhat hesitantly, trying to figure out how to answer in general terms, "You see… how should I put it? I decided to let him run away to the exact distance where I either had to shoot or chase after him in order not to let him escape. I would prefer not to elaborate any further than this…"

"There is no need to, miss Victoria. I understand the implication," Bennett smiled contently, "And the reason I'm asking you that is because I want to see if I can try and figure out certain details of his psychological portrait. Actually, your answer gives me enough room to speculate."

"Really?"

"Yes. For instance, let's suppose that you didn't shoot at all. What would happen?"

"I would charge after that vampire, of course."

"Yes, but I'm talking about our 'questionable companion' here. What was going through his mind? Did he see the exact moment when you pulled the trigger? I'm not an expert on monsters, but I don't believe that any of them, going back to mister Alucard himself, can have such fine vision – that they not only can see small object from that far away but also to be able to see _through_ other objects. So, if we presume that he didn't know the exact moment when you were going to take a shot, did he care at all that he could be discovered?"

"Hm… probably not," Seras replied ponderingly, "If I didn't shoot, he might have just shot the target himself, and then we would obviously notice that right away."

"Correct. So, what something like that tells me is that he might have quite an impulsive personality. Or that there might be certain things that make him impulsive… that make him lose the ability to justify his actions and think about consequences of those actions…"

"Sounds like monstrous rage…"

"Perhaps… but it can also be something more specific… maybe, the sight of a moving target or something like that? Hunter's rage of some sort? I don't know, I'm only guessing. I will give it more thought. While these speculations don't help much with our research, we may consider them for the future."

"They do make sense, though, Bennett. If you think about it, it was pretty risky of him to get in our way like that. But he still did…"

"Exactly… Maybe, he is impulsive in general. Maybe, he just wanted to play with us. Either way, that gives me more room for thought. Thank you for clarifying that, miss Victoria."

"Of course."

"Well, I think I should be out of your way now," Bennett smiled contently, "As far as I understand, you can take the rest of the evening and the night for yourself, because we haven't received any reports deserving attention until this point. Sir Integra appears to be quite determined to teach the police to deal on their own with crimes involving petty vampires…"

"Well, best of luck to her with that," Seras smirked, "Although, it would be nice to have out hands not tied with police business all the time. On the other hand, the majority of what we do nowadays is police business… without it, I would be spending most of my time at the shooting range. Speaking of which, I think that I'm in the mood for it right now…"

"Well, then do enjoy yourself, miss Victoria," Bennett nodded slightly, "I sincerely hope that I won't have to bother you for the rest of the night."

Seras smiled sweetly and headed down the corridor. At first she wanted to continue walking, but then she realized how long it would take her to get to the underground shooting range on foot. "Hell no," she grumbled to herself, walked into the wall and merged with her shadow within it.

When she entered the range, she, to her surprise, found Alucard there. He was in a middle of a field-shooting exercise, standing in an open area and constantly firing pistols at the automated moving targets that were approaching him from all sides at different speeds.

"Master… g-good evening," she greeted him in a surprised voice, "I didn't know that you came to practice here once in a while, like I do."

"Good evening, Seras. Well, we haven't actually spent much time under the same roof, if you think about it," he turned his head to her and smirked, "So, there is probably a great deal more that you have never known about me. But it isn't really a practice for me in the first place. I'm just having myself a little of human fun – in the absence of monstrous fun. The ability to have monstrous fun without consequences is quite a luxury nowadays, isn't it?"

While he was looking at her and talking, he kept shooting the pistols at the same time, putting holes through the automated moving targets. At some point it seemed as if he was going to let one of them sneak up on him from back. He quickly twisted both of his arms to the point where his posture no longer looked human, with his pistols aiming directly at the target's head right behind him. He fired both of them at once, blowing off the portion of the target's head into pieces.

"That's enough!" he said loudly.

"Acknowledged," an automated voice responded, "Exercise terminated. Results stored. Overall accuracy – ninety-nine point nine percent."

"You foolish machine," Alucard grinned, "I didn't miss the shot that you think I missed. I shot over the target's head to hit the target behind it, because it had a gun, while the target in front had a knife. Still such primitive analysis of actions… technology has advanced quite a bit, as I see, but humans can do much… much more. But should they?"

"So, Master, you've gotten a firm grip on everything here very quick," Seras said cheerfully, "And such accuracy… I rarely go over ninety-five percent. But then again, I don't like pistols much. To me, the rule of 'every shot counts' is simply a burden."

"Well, we're all different, aren't we?" Alucard replied, putting the pistols on the table, "I hope you didn't mind me borrowing yours for this. I didn't want to use up all Bennett's custom-made rounds. He just gave me a new batch today. The ones in yours are also silver, but they are standard, aren't they?"

"Eh… I'm sure they are. Bennett said that I could use them for practice at any time and gave me a big box. But most of the time I just practice with something else."

"Something like those?" Alucard smirked, looking at the pair of revolving machineguns that sat on the reinforced rack on the floor, against the back wall.

"Yep," Seras smiled, "Although I do understand the entire picture…"

"Entire picture?"

"Well, yes… I know that most of the weapons here have been made for my amusement rather than practical reasons. Bennett, of course, will never admit to that, but that must be the case. The majority of these guns have way too much firepower for our usual range of targets. Actually, if any of our targets _had_ access to so much firepower, then they would be the military's business just as much as they would be Hellsing's business. Those machineguns, for example… I remember using them only once. Against a terrorist group of vampires that managed to get their hands on two military helicopters and an armored truck… Sir Integra convinced the commanding military general in charge to let me handle the case… In the end, I clearly knew that I had overdone it…"

"What a cruel and exciting mismatch it must have been," Alucard smirked, "Well, how do you practice with them, anyway? Is there anything at this shooting range that can withstand so much firepower?"

"Usually, I just ask the maintenance staff to prepare a series of targets, moving and stationary, out of reinforced concrete or something durable like that – they know better than I do what they make them from. Of course, they can only do that every so often – once or twice a month, perhaps. Also, time to time Sir Penwood manages to get his hands on a decommissioned military truck or armored transporter… just for me. They usually bring it to our open shooting range outside, where I can demolish it. According to Bennett, even a tank's armor wouldn't stand more than a minute of barrage from those machineguns. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to try them out on a tank yet. But I don't know if I want to…"

Alucard grinned and approached the machineguns. He laid his hand on the barrel of one of them, and then turned to Seras and gave her a sly look.

"Care to show me what they are capable of, Seras?"

"Hm… all right," she smirked and walked to him, "After all, I didn't get to practice with them last time, so the targets are ready."

She picked up two portable metal ammo supply containers that sat on the floor nearby and hanged them on her shoulders using the slings that were attached to them. Each container had a folded belt of machinegun armor-piecing rounds inside, in the amount that allowed steady fire for approximately a minute. She fed the belts into the machineguns and then picked them up.

Noticing excitement in her eyes, Alucard rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Ready whenever you are, Seras."

"Yes, Master!"

She walked to the designated section of the range, which was separated from the rest of the area with thirty-inch reinforced steel walls. Inside, there was basically another range. Filled with durable targets like reinforced concrete pillars and metal imitations of different vehicles that were sitting on the floor and on robotic moving platforms, the area was specifically designed for use with heavy weaponry.

"Begin demolition exercise," Seras said loudly.

"Acknowledged," the automated voice responded.

As the movable targets went into motion, Seras placed one of her legs slightly forward to attain a well-balanced stance and then raised the machineguns.

"Haaaaaaaa!"

Knowing that the entire exercise was not going to take longer than a minute, Alucard was prepared in advance to watch the entire show in slow motion. Following the flight of bullets as they buried into concrete and metal, cracking and shredding it into rubble, he would time to time turn his face in Seras's direction in order to catch a glimpse of her excitement. At some point, he saw a chip of concrete flying straight into his face. Refusing to pass on such an opportunity, he pulled out his silver pistol and fired a round right at it. Then, yielding to temptation, he proceeded to unload the rest of his magazine at the other stray bits that were flying all across the area. He ran out of bullets approximately at the same time as Seras ran out of hers. Still pointing his pistol towards the range, he turned his head to her. Breathing heavily, with her smoking machineguns down, and with a satisfied, almost wicked grin on her face, she was obliquely looking at him. Words were uncalled for at that point, but the automated system obviously couldn't care less.

"Demolition exercise complete. Analysis of results complete. One hundred percent of targets have received unsustainable amount of damage."

Without saying a word to each other, Alucard and Seras looked at the range. The dust had already begun to settle down, and the entire area looked like a site of massive explosion. Pieces of concrete and metal were lying everywhere, and only the remaining bases of pillars and the position of robotic platforms could indicate where everything was just several minutes ago.

"I can fully understand why you enjoy something like this," Alucard smirked, "In this particular case, however, I cannot be certain as to which one of us enjoyed it more. That was excellent. Thank you for such a splendid performance, Seras. You are truly one of a kind."

"It was my pleasure, Master. And… I just realized…"

"Yes?"

"Well… Before you returned, I had often turned to this practice as the last resort in order to make myself feel hungry…" she replied somewhat hesitantly, "And, apparently, it still works… even though I have already had my portion today."

"I see," Alucard grinned, "Well, there is no point in denying yourself basic necessities, is there? And besides, you are not the only one who is hungry right now…"

Sitting at the table in his office, bishop M'Quve (*Makube*) smiled pleasantly at Markus, who was sitting opposite to him.

"While your proposition sounds very interesting, mister Alhambra, I cannot help you," he said, "You see, neither the Iscariot, nor the Vatican as a whole wish to get involved in international conflicts of any kind anymore. For now, at least. After the Ninth Crusade we lost too much power, along with our face in the world. Ever since, we have been trying to regain our place in the hearts and minds of Catholics…"

"Oh, why so much bathos, Bishop?" Markus smirked, "Don't tell me things that I can easily disprove. You don't wish to get involved in international conflicts, you say? Then what about father Gregory, also known to a very limited circle of people as 'Father Moonshadow,' who in the recent years have been directly involved in quite a few conflicts with English Protestant churches."

The smile disappeared from M'Quve's face, as it acquired a somewhat tense expression.

"Well," he replied in contained tone, "While I'm quite surprised that you know about these things, I will only say that father Gregory is not under Vatican's control in any way. He is, if you pardon me using an American term, a vigilante. A religious vigilante and nothing more. He has been affiliated with Vatican for quite a while, until several _facts_ were discovered about his nature…"

"He is a vampire, I know…"

"Well, once again I'm surprised that you know that," M'Quve's voice became noticeably firmer, "But since he is not technically affiliated with Vatican anymore…"

"Don't make me laugh, Bishop. If he weren't affiliated with Vatican, he would have been dead the moment when it was discovered that he was a vampire. However, he is still alive, isn't he? Since when does the Vatican let a monster stroll away alive? He may not be _technically affiliated_ with Vatican, as you say, but that doesn't mean that you still cannot use his services to your heart's content, right? Besides, since when does the Vatican care about 'technicalities?' Protestantism is _technically_ a branch of Christianity, and yet…"

"Don't you dare go any further with this, mister Alhambra!" M'Quve retorted, "You are in our domain and you think that you can tell us what to do?"

"Oh, so you don't like that, either," Markus smirked, "But you would gladly come to someone else's house and tell _them_ what to do and believe, right?"

"How dare you!?"

"Oh, please, relax, Bishop. You shouldn't be offended by the truth. And I haven't come here to insult you, either. I'm just trying to make you say something that doesn't have a load of hypocrisy attached to it. Let me make a few things clear. First of all, I'm not trying to pick a fight. Doing that right here and right now would be the stupidest thing that I can think of at the moment. With that said, however, I'm not trying to make friends with you, either. If anything, the Vatican is my enemy, not a friend. After all, the Vatican did support the creation of the Millenium group, which pitted my father against Alucard fifty-five years later. But I'm not going to call you my enemy. I'm going to call you the 'enemy of my enemy.' And with that condition in mind, I'm merely offering you a candy that you have been wanting for many years. The development of my plan will take one of two paths. In one of them, Integra Hellsing will be left in the Hellsing Headquarters, while both Seras Victoria and Alucard will be away for an indefinite amount of time. When that happens, Hellsing will be wide-open. If you want to seize that opportune moment – you are more than welcome to. All you have to do is follow a few simple instructions. I'm not looking for affiliation with or gratitude from the Vatican. All I'm trying to say to you is that the _treat_ will be there if you come at the right time. And the only reason that I'm offering this treat to _you_ is because I know that you have a sweet tooth for it, and you will do whatever it takes to enjoy it the most. Others will just choke it down for money without understanding what it is that they are eating. I have those people on the list. I don't _need_ your help, Bishop M'Quve. I'm just giving you an opportunity to enjoy something that the Vatican has longed for. In return, I just expect that due efforts will be given to the matter…"

Smirking satisfactorily, M'Quve chuckled quietly and then laid his palm on the envelope that Markus had put on the table before him.

"Your confidence borders on bravado, mister Alhambra," he said, "What makes you so sure that we are not recording this conversation right now? Or that I won't decide to pass this envelope directly to Integra Hellsing? Just to show you that I don't need someone like you coming and trying to pretend to be doing me a kindness while actually seeking favorable outcome for himself? There will be opportunities to bring down Hellsing in the future, I'm sure of it. So, why would I pick yours? And why would I not instead turn you in and possibly earn Hellsing's trust for the time being?"

"Don't make me laugh," Markus smiled, "Vatican earning Hellsing's trust? If only you could hear yourself talk… you are not a fool, Bishop M'Quve. You may be insane in your views and intentions, but you are not a fool with regards to _how_ _you go_ about your views and intentions. Therefore, I think that there are only two logical choices that you can now make. One, you can enjoy the candy, provided that you have the teeth to crack it – and I believe that father Gregory is just the tooth that you need. And two, you can let somebody else eat the candy and hope that you will able to enjoy the aftertaste. Either way will be fine with me, because my plan has already been set into motion. You may be a figure in it, or you may not be. It is up to you, Bishop. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go now in order to catch my plane to London."

"Yes, yes, of course. May God bless your plane for a safe flight," M'Quve grinned.

Markus stood up and headed for the door, waiving 'good-bye' to M'Quve.

"How disgusting. Hypocrisy is never supposed to be the main course, only a condiment, Bishop," he muttered to himself while making his way through a series of corridors, "A few more of those pretentiously warmhearted phrases of his – and I would have definitely vomited on his table."

Meanwhile, M'Quve continued sitting at his desk with a grin on his face. He opened the envelope, pulled out a sheet of paper, unfolded it and skimmed over it.

"Not bad, mister Alhambra. Not bad at all. Well, you are right about one thing – we're no fools…"

He reached under his table and pressed the communications button.

"Heinkel, I need you to get a hold of Moonshadow within the hour…"

Hoping to stay in bed a little while longer on Friday morning, Integra turned away from sunlight as it started shining in her face through the window. At that same time she heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door of her bedroom, and then someone knocked at the door.

"Yes?"

"Sir Integra, my sincere apologizes, but I need to show you something," she heard Bennett's voice.

"Yeah, sure, come in, Bennett," she yawned and assumed sitting position, with the blanket still covering her body, "I should have given up hopes of sleeping late a long time ago, shouldn't I?"

"I don't know what a proper response to that would be, ma'am," Bennett smiled, opening the door and bowing his head, "Good morning."

"Not so good… the morning, I mean," Integra smirked, "A good morning would be if I didn't get to hear news about freaks at the beginning of my day. But that comes with our legacy, I suppose."

"I'm afraid that today's news may turn out quite different, ma'am."

"Really? What do you have for me?"

"Well, I went ahead and picked up our mail from the postal box, as I usually do, and I came across a very curious letter. I didn't open because it was addressed specifically to one of Hellsing's core members… and that member is not you…"

"What do you mean?"

"Here, take a look."

Integra took the envelope from Bennett and studied it. Her eyes widened in surprise: a handwritten note of the side of the read, "to Sir Alucard."

"What!?"

"That was my first reaction as well, ma'am."

"Since when do… I mean, who would… and how do… Damn, I don't even know what question to ask first! Bennett, I need Alucard and you in my office in five minutes! I know that he is asleep right now, but the matter is serious, I'm sure of it."

"Of course, Sir."

Bennett bowed his head and left the room, closing the door behind himself. He knew that the part of Integra's request about Alucard being in her office was not really addressed to him and that he was not really supposed to do anything about it: while in the mansion or otherwise in close proximity to Integra, Alucard always knew if he was being summoned, whether he was asleep or not, and would always comply with the order. And indeed, he was at the door of Integra's office when Bennett finally made his way there.

"Good morning, mister Alucard," he bowed his head slightly, "Not a usual greeting to say to a vampire, I suppose."

"Yes, being awake during the day is quite exhausting, but I certainly expect something interesting to cheer me up," Alucard smirked.

"I sincerely wish that to be the case… as opposed to any other possibility."

"What's the matter?"

"To put in most accurate words, we have no idea," Bennett replied contently, "But whatever it is, I find it quite alarming, and so does Sir Integra. I suggest we wait for her to explain the situation."

"Holding off on something interesting? That does raise my excitement quite a bit, I must admit."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Alucard," Integra said, appearing down the hallway, "Unfortunately, I cannot share it with you at the moment. Instead, I expect to find out that we had already sunk very deep into something and are figuring it out just now, when someone decided to let us know."

"That wouldn't be the first time when something like that happened, would it, Master?" Alucard grinned.

"I don't even want to think about that. Come in, both of you."

Despite the invitation, Bennett and Alucard politely waited until Integra opened the door herself and proceeded to her desk, and entered after her.

"I'm quite intrigued with this commotion, Master," Alucard said, "So, what's the matter?"

"This," Integra replied sternly, raising her arm and displaying an envelope in her hand.

"A letter?"

"Yes, a letter. Addressed to _you_."

"Really? It's been ages since I have received a letter…"

"That's precisely the point, Alucard. That raises so many questions. Who would ever write to you? And who would ever think of such a brazen way to contact you – by writing directly to our Headquarters? And whoever than may be – they must know that you have returned. How do they know that? Any ideas?"

"Well, other than the fact that a vampiress escaped from me during the mission in the National Bank, and that we had an uninvited participant at our latest slaughter of ghouls - I can't think of anything else… Why don't you just open the letter, Master? The answers to all of your questions are in your hand…"

"Wait," Bennett interrupted hastily, "I just remembered, haven't had a chance to test it yet. I need to x-ray it and do some chemical tests on it to make sure that the contents are not harmful."

"It's just a letter, Bennett. You are overly scrupulous… but, perhaps, for own sake," Integra sighed.

"Bennett may be right," Alucard smirked, "However, since the letter is addressed to me, _I_ have to be the one testing it. May I?"

He approached the desk and took the envelope from Integra's hand.

"If it was meant to harm me, I'm truly eager to see what it can do," he grinned, opening the envelope.

He found nothing inside but a folded sheet of paper.

"So far, I'm quite disappointed. Like you said, Master, it's just a letter."

He unfolded it and his face acquired expression of excitement: the handwriting was aesthetic, detailed and strongly evocative of earlier aristocracy. The letter read, "_Greetings to the former fearsome Count of Wallachia, who nowadays is continuing his forgotten afterlife under the name 'Alucard,' in a basement of a human-owned house. Time changes everything, doesn't it, Vlad the Impaler? The last time when you and I met, you were the ruler of a dreaded land whose name by itself was capable of making one's blood chill in the veins. And who are you today? You are just mere pawn who acts on every whim of a human. You have become a disgrace to your former self. I feel ashamed for my past encounter with you. I revered you so, yet you humiliated me and planted memories into my mind that I will never forget. If you had remained in your prime for the rest of your afterlife – I would have been content for the rest of mine. However, seeing how low you have fallen in the past years, I can no longer live with those memories. I can no longer keep accepting that a pathetic, worthless excuse for a vampire that are now had put me down so hard in the past. Back then you promised me that if I ever found a way into the realms of Darkness by myself, you would happily purge that sickness from my heart. I think the time has come to call you on that promise, Count…if I can still call you that. Now that you have emptied your own empty world and returned into this empty world, I challenge you to a battle, Vlad the Impaler. I hope that you will not go back on your centuries-old words. But to make sure that it doesn't happen, I'm giving you an ultimatum: either you give me the fight that you promised, or I will pick a quiet English town and turn it into a ghost town overnight. And then I will find another town… and then another. I hope that you value those pathetic humans enough to be able to gather the remains of your courage and face me after all these years. I also hope that you will appreciate the fact that I had personally made sure that this letter got to you today. Because the time is tonight at midnight. The full moon will surely spice things up, don't you think? And the place – I hope that you can make sense of the numbers at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, a town will disappear from the face of this Earth tonight. I haven't picked any particular one yet, and I expect that you will not make me to._

_Sincerely, the gravest mistake of you life,_

_Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed._"

Looking down at the letter, Alucard let it go, and it slowly landed on Integra's desk. She glanced at him and saw him grinning. His shoulders started shaking as suppressed chuckling came out of his mouth. It was getting louder and louder until it eventually evolved into full-blown, echoing, maniacal laughter.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Realizing that it was pointless to ask Alucard anything at that moment, Integra picked up the letter and began reading it herself. As she was reading more and more into it, her eyes were opening wider and wider. When she reached the end, she angrily slammed it on the table.

"What part of this is funny to you, Alucard!?" she exclaimed.

She had to wait for him to finish laughing in order to hear his response.

"Why, every word of it, Master," he replied with a smirk, "To think that someone like her would make such a naïvely bold and forceful comeback after all these years. Apparently, I underestimated her back then… I underestimated her foolishness and ignorance, that is. She wasn't just a fool, she was a complete idiot. And it looks like time hasn't changed _her_ one bit."

"Why do I think that you are unduly optimistic about this, Alucard?" Interga asked irritably, "And who is she anyway? Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed? Is she the one who I think she is? That insane woman in the sixteenth century, who murdered five to six hundred virgins and bathed in their blood?"

"Well, if you want to summarize her history into such simple terms, then yes, that would be her. But I suspect that the true number of her victims has been much, much higher. However, up until this point I have honestly believed that the historical account of her death was based in fact. But it turns out that everything happened just as it usually does. Humans have hidden their fears by lying to themselves…"  
"I don't like the sound of that, Alucard. Just what happened between you and that woman?"

"Nothing worthy of remembering, if you ask me," Alucard grinned, "But I understand that you would like to hear something concrete. I can open a bit of my past history for you. And you know very well what lies in there. So, what do you say, Master?"

"I want to hear everything regarding the matter, Alucard," Integra said sternly.

"As you wish, Master. Allow me to take you back to the times when the noteworthy part of my history began. There was a time for me when the circumstances were so dire that I had to make a choice whether to become a monster or die. It's obvious, of course, what choice I made at that point. Then, with my newly acquired powers, I took vengeance on those who forced me into those dire circumstances. And then came a period of time during which I simply enjoyed my afterlife without taking it to extremes. I was the count of Wallachia, living in nobility and breathing it. I did my best to ensure that only those who were destined to die could see my true nature, and that those who saw my true nature would then only be destined to die. And so, the truth turned into a legend over time, and then the legend became rumors. In everyone's eyes, I was just a count, surrounded by all kinds of mystical gossip, which seemed to be attracting quite a few curious souls. People of nobility would often come to Wallachia to meet me. All of them had various reasons and interests. Elizabeth was one of them. I was intrigued by her at first. I had never met a human who had so much interest in Darkness before. From the moment when she saw me, she started asking if the rumors about me being a monster were true. I replied as I usually did in such cases and tried to change the subject. But she wouldn't yield. During the dinner, she broke her glass and cut her finger. I knew that she did that on purpose, but I couldn't control my reaction to the sight of her blood. At that moment I should have turned _her_ into the main course of the dinner, but for some reason I decided to wait and see what was going to happen next. As soon as she realized that I was indeed a vampire, she went for it. She appeared to be willing to do anything and everything to join the realm of Darkness. First she tried to seduce me, the she begged, and then she even tried to threaten me that she would expose my nature to the rest of the people. While all those attempts were laughable, I was interested why she wanted to become a vampire, so I asked. Her answer enraged me: she was just afraid of aging and death. Frightened by her own humanity, she was willing to give it up and become something million times more terrifying. So, I decided to teach her a lesson. I turned into my monstrous self. I threatened to kill her. I made her kneel and beg me to spare her. There is nothing like threatening to kill someone who is afraid to die. I promised her that if she ever found a way to become a vampire, I would purge that sickness out of her heart. And then I threw her out of my castle. I knew that very few people would believe her if she started talking about what she saw. And I hoped that I had scared her to the point where her heart had turned away from Darkness forever. That was the last and only time when I saw her. However, I think that what happened to her after that night had much to do with me. And that's the story."

"I see," Integra sighed, "Well, it appears that your _lesson_ turned her heart away from humanity instead of Darkness. And somehow she has found a way into its realms without your help."

"I should have just killed her back then," Alucard smirked, "And now… it's like what she wrote – she is my mistake. But she shamelessly flatters herself if she thinks that she was the 'gravest' of them. What an interesting callback, I must say."

"Well, it's not just _your _business at this point, Alucard," Integra replied sarcastically, "She is threatening to murder an unspecified number of people tonight if you don't show up where she wants you. We obviously cannot afford to put such callback from your past on hold. The numbers at the bottom of the page are geographical coordinates, of course. Bennett, I need you to run them through as soon as possible."

"Certainly, ma'am," Bennett nodded.

"However, there is another question," Integra continued, "Can it be a trick? Is she truly alive and has written this letter, or is someone just using her name?"

"Why would one villain use another villain's credentials, ma'am?"

"Perhaps, to interest _me_ more than I would be interested otherwise," Alucard grinned, "But that would also imply that that person has to know about everything that happened between us on that day. And that would not be possible. But I don't even need to go _that_ far speculating, because it cannot be anyone but her. She left her mark just for me."

"A mark?" Integra asked, "I didn't see any mark…"

"You wouldn't," Alucard replied, "This mark is not to be seen. It is to be smelled only by a vampire. She mixed the ink with her own blood."

"She what?"

"Yes. Everybody's blood has a unique scent to it, but only a vampire can pick it up. She knew that I would remember the scent of her blood from that night, and so she added it to the ink so that I would recognize it. It is _her_ blood. However, so many foul traces have added to it over the centuries that you and Bennett must be grateful that you cannot smell it. It reeks of anger, cruelty, betrayal, pain, torture, desperation and misery – the nauseating mix that can only belong to a hateful murderer, whose only pleasure in life is preying on the weak. There can be no mistake. It is _her_. And I consider it a personal insult that she thinks of herself as a vampire, regardless of how she acquired that nature. Killing the weak for the sake enjoyment of killing the weak is the lowest way of life, and those who follow that path don't even deserve to be _monsters_, let alone humans. They just don't deserve to live at all. It would be a pleasure if you ordered me to wipe her pathetic existence from the Earth, Master."

"As if I have much of a choice, Alucard," Integra said ponderingly, "And yet I cannot help but think that there might be a catch to all this. Who said that she was going to be there alone? Or that somebody would not try to target Hellsing while you were away? Wasn't that how everything happened thirty years ago?"

"It was. But things are different now. I can be anywhere I want. If something happens while I'm gone, you can always call me back, and I will immediately return. Even if I'm not close enough to sense that you are calling me back, there are always other ways. Even thirty years ago there have been plenty of them…"

"Yes, I suppose… but what if…"

"If it is a trap for me?" Alucard smirked, "That suspicion borderlines on a joke, Master. Even if someone is trying to lay a trap for me, they will not be able to handle their catch. Besides, there is no way that I can be trapped in anything anymore. I can be anywhere, and so I can just escape any situation whenever I want – not that I will ever need that."

"Mister Alucard has a point, ma'am," Bennett said softly, "Theoretically, if he can be anywhere at any time, then that makes him virtually invulnerable to any damage – as long as the ability is properly used, of course. But there is no question in my mind that mister Alucard knows how to use his abilities."

"I know, Bennett," Integra sighed, "It's just that I have never been able to be completely certain about anything ever since what happened thirty years ago. But that doesn't mean that I'm wavering. Alucard, you orders will be simpler than usual. Since Bennett will run the coordinates through and give you the exact location, you will not need to search. All that will be left for you to do is _destroy_. You must fix your mistake before it becomes our headache."

"Understood, Master. It will be a truly great pleasure to silence that pathetic excuse for Nosferatu, whose courage is directly proportional to the perceived weakness of her opponent. She will not survive _this_ lesson," Alucard smirked satisfactorily, "Now, may I return to my sleep, Master? I want to be completely rested in order to be able to enjoy the upcoming night to the fullest."

"Yes, that would be all for now, Alucard. You can go, " Integra nodded.

"Until evening, then. It's good that I'm going back to sleep, otherwise I would have a very hard time waiting."

Continuing to smirk, Alucard vanished.

"I wish I could share your enthusiasm," Integra said gravely.

She skimmed over the letter again then handed it over to Bennett.

"Determine where the place is and let me know right away. Then, prepare communication devices for Alucard accordingly. Oh, wait… On second thought, let's use my laptop and figure everything out right here and right now. I'm really spacing out, I guess… Can you see how not getting enough sleep affects me nowadays? I even have to think twice to figure out the best solution for a simple task as such. I didn't even notice when that started. I _am_ getting old… I can feel it more and more…"

"Please don't exaggerate, Sir Integra," Bennett smiled contently, "Now, let's see what those coordinates bring us to."

He approached Integra and stood behind her as she entered the data into her laptop.

"Hm… I see," he muttered ponderingly, looking at the screen, "It seems that they refer to the uncharted land on the west of the island, particularly to this spike-like edge of the Tywi Forest. There is nothing around but rivers and water reservoirs. And the closest town… right here… Tregaron… is approximately fifteen kilometers on the west. I don't know if appraisal is appropriate in this case, but I personally believe such a location would be a very suitable choice for two vampires that want to settle their score in an exciting way. Running water and other elements of uncultivated land present natural obstacles for both humans _and_ vampires. Such a pick of the battleground must have taken quite a bit of thought to ensure that the fight would be interesting."

"Damn, it seems even more like a trap to me now," Integra said irritably.

"I fully understand your concerns, ma'am, and, under normal circumstances, I would be among the first ones to raise a red flag. However, such careful and obviously tailored planning shows that the enemy is either completely clueless about mister Alucard's _current_ abilities or has not taken them into account."

"What do you mean?" Integra gave Bennett a questioning look.

"Well, think about it, ma'am," he replied with a smile, "Whether the enemy is Countess Bathory alone or a group that's trying to lay a trap, those natural obstacles cannot hinder mister Alucard's movements anymore. For example, vampires cannot cross running water. But why cross running water if he can just appear on the other side? His ability to be anywhere erases most of his weaknesses. If anything, such a choice of location only putshim at an _advantage_, and the enemy doesn't appear to have accounted for that."

"Hm… that's right. Why didn't I think of that?" Integra sighed, "See what I mean, Bennett? I'm getting old and you kn…"

"There is just one problem with that location which I can see right away," Bennett interrupted immediately, attempting to take Integra's mind of thinking about the usual mildly depressing yet trivial matters, "The place is obviously situated far outside the range of our private communication channels. I will have to connect mister Alucard's earpiece to conventional cellular networks instead, but that should not be a problem. I would also recommend using satellite connection as backup, but if you want that to happen, Sir Integra, then you will need to contact Sir Penwood and get the access codes to one of the satellites."

"Will do," Integra nodded.

"Also, with regards to the microphone, I don't think that any of our existing 'push-to-talk' type devices and accessories are suitable for an 'all-out' monster on monster fight. They will just be a hindrance. Unless you wish to pin a spy-type microphone on mister Alucard, which will allow you to hear _everything_, I really cannot think of any other alternatives at the moment. On the other hand, I understand that you have never required him to wear anything like that before, so the decision is obviously yours, ma'am."

"No. We will skip the microphone. A cellular or satellite phone - yes, but something that is pinned on him – he has never used things like that before, and he shouldn't start now. I don't want him to feel that he is a leashed dog. Besides, nothing really depends on him being able to talk to me immediately. It's only important that he is able to hear _us_. If something is so dire that he has to let me know right away, then it will be probably worthwhile for him to just abandon whatever he is doing and talk to me directly. After all, he _can_ do that now."

"Very true, ma'am," Bennett nodded.

"Well then, begin the preparations, and I will request the satellite access codes from Sir Penwood and will let you know as soon as they are in."

"Of course, ma'am."

"Oh, one more thing, Bennett."

"Ma'am?"

"Seras should not find out about this operation and anything related to it from you or myself," Integra said ponderingly, "Only Alucard can decide to let her know. Although we're talking about his _very distant_ past, there is no denying that it is still quite ugly. Seras reveres Alucard from the bottom of her heart, and I cannot be certain as to how introduction of such pieces of his biography can affect her view of his nature. While she obviously knows who he has been for centuries – a ruthless monster – she appears to be not consciously aware of that for the most part. And I don't want her to start being aware of that. At the very least, I don't want to be the one who gives her a push in that direction. Nor I want _you_ to be the one… Furthermore if she finds out that Alucard is going on an assignment, she would obviously want to join him, and that is something that I absolutely cannot allow. For various reasons, as you understand… And forbidding her to join his mission would just require too much explanation, and I'm not in the mood for all that right now."

"Yes, I thought of that too, ma'am. I'll make sure to be careful about what I say and do in front of miss Victoria. I believe, however, that she would have taken this matter very lightly. I'm referring to that exert from mister Alucard's biography, of course. After all, according to what I know and understand, up to this point she has taken everything else regarding his quite lightly, hasn't she? She saw him releasing Level Zero thirty years ago, and yet she still admires him very highly. If I had to opine, I would say that her respect towards him is rather unconditional. I believe that no matter what he does – except for something plainly outrageous and horrible – she will never turn away from him."

"That's more or less what I believe too. And yet, it is not for us to decide in the end."

"Of course not. Well, I guess, I should on my way now, ma'am. Please, supply me with the access codes as soon as you receive them."

"Will do, Bennett."

Bennett bowed and exited the room, leaving Integra sitting at her desk with a concerned and irritated expression on her face.

"This presumptuous call from the past better not end like the previous one did," she muttered angrily and clenched her fists, "Thirty years… we have waited long enough, Alucard…"

With the night fast approaching, Integra was becoming more and more nervous. In hopes to alleviate her anxiety, Bennett brought a whole pot of freshly brewed tea right into her office. Everything was ready for Alucard's mission, except that he himself appeared to be sleeping longer than usual. Even Seras, who would often choose to sleep until late evening, if the circumstances allowed for that, had already awoken. It had been decided between Integra and Bennett that if no ordinary requests from the police came about, it would be Bennett's task to distract Seras. That was exactly what he ended up doing, having asked her to re-inventory her personal supply of weaponry and ammunition. At the same time, Alucard was receiving final instructions from Integra.

"You have everything that you need, Alucard," she said, smoking a cigar and looking him straight in the face, "We have determined the location, and Bennett has prepared an earpiece device for you to wear so that we can contact you at any point if something happens here. If I call you – return immediately. If at any point you need to report something to me that cannot wait – return immediately and report. I don't care what situation you will be in at that time. And one more thing, Alucard. For you, a great deal of everything in the world may seem easy and banal. But as we have already found out the hard way, not everything on a commonplace menu is always a commonplace dish. By that I mean, of course, that there can be surprises where you least expect them. But you obviously know that. So, you will do well to remember that, Alucard. That's an order. I hope that I've made myself clear enough. As far my orders regarding the target itself – you already know what they are. Any questions?"

"No, Master," Alucard removed his hat and bowed, "Everything shall be done as you command."

"Then go and return safely, Alucard."

With a wicked grin, Alucard vanished in thin air. Noticeably nervous, Integra forcefully put out her cigar, breaking it in half in the ashtray, and then reached for her laptop, intending to check on the current results of Bennett's investigation.

Having appeared on the location early, Alucard did not expect to find Elizabeth or anyone else there. He looked around and smiled at the view. Then land, seemingly undisturbed by human existence and crossed with several riverbeds, along with the forest behind him, looked beautiful in moonlight.

"Now, _that _is a perfect evening," he said to himself.

For a while, he just stood there, looking at the Moon and its reflection in the river. He didn't turn even when he felt Elizabeth's presence behind him as she walked out of the woods: neither of them had to be looking the other in the face to be able to see it.

"You are late, Elizabeth," he said apathetically, "I can tell by the Moon that it's just past midnight."

"I wouldn't be a woman if I were on time, would I?" she smirked and took several more steps towards him, "You look much different from before, Count."

"The form I take means nothing to me. But this particular one does seems to represent my being to those whom I value, and therefore I chose to stick with it. _Your_ looks, on the other hand, haven't changed much since the last time we met. These are the looks that you wished so hard to preserve, aren't they? While human eyes may be fooled by them, I can easily see what lies underneath, Elizabeth. Underneath lie your worst fears. I can see you for what you really are – a decrepit hag…"

In response, with speed far beyond human, Elizabeth reached for her two semi-automatic pistols, which were strapped to her hips, and pointed them at Alucard. Not intending to match her eagerness and trying to show that he wasn't impressed by it at all, he slowly turned around. Seemingly irritated by such reaction, she fired a shot at him – only to show him that she meant serious business, and to reassure herself that she was indeed ready that business. She expected him to evade the bullet and was surprised when he simply took it his shoulder, without even trying to move away.

At that moment, a dark figure, which was sitting behind the bush several kilometers away and observing the situation through binoculars with night vision, reported the update to those who were waiting for it.

"The shepherd is distracted. Ready the wolves, it's time to skin the sheep."

"Roger," the response was heard in the earpiece.

Meanwhile, on the soon-will-be battleground of two monsters, Alucard carefully studied his wound and then looked at Elizabeth with a smirk.

"Shells with silver amalgam, I see. The round heats up so much during the shot that the amalgam briefly becomes pliable enough to mold itself into the wound. Then it cools off quickly and becomes solid again, while continuing to eat through my flesh, making it very hard for me to heal myself and causing me to lose blood profusely. Quite impressive, Elizabeth. If you tell me that you had thought of something like that just for me, I would be ecstatic."

"Sorry but no," she grinned, "I actually hunt usual freaks with those. I did have to enhance the firepower a little bit, but other than that – no, nothing special just for you. Still, a dozen more hits or so, and you will be bleeding like a stuck pig. I like bloody scenery, you see. My historical nickname, the Bloody Countess, suits me quite well, don't you think? I wonder though, why didn't you dodge?"

"And I wonder why you didn't shoot me in the heart?"

"Because I didn't want to cut the fun so short, of course."

"Well, I didn't dodge for exactly the same reason," Alucard smiled wickedly, "I didn't want to cut our fun so short. Dodging you attack and discouraging you right off the bet would take all the interest out of the game, wouldn't it?"

"Enough with the bluffing!" Elizabeth exclaimed angrily, "Draw your weapons and let's go at it already! Do you have any idea for how long I have dreamed of this day, Count!?"

"And I haven't dreamed about it even a second," he replied calmly, "Furthermore, to be honest, all these years I thought that you were dead. I shall now resolve this misconception and finally turn the words that were written centuries ago into truth."

He drew his pistols and aimed them at Elizabeth. In response, she released a flock of shadowy bats, which started circling above her head.

"So, you are getting ready to heal yourself even before the battle began," Alucard smirked, "You are either overly prudent or completely unsure about your chances against me. And I don't have to guess hard to understand which one it is."

As he fired several rounds at her, she dodged and started shooting back at him – and the battle began. In his usual manner of handling such duels, Alucard appeared to be making no effort whatsoever to avoid being hit again and again with Elizabeth's bullets. Tracing her movements, he kept methodically firing his silver pistol. Every successful hit made a deep wound in her body or blew a chunk of her arm or leg off, but a portion of the shadowy bats above her head kept rushing to the sites of her injuries, merging into her flesh and healing the damage. Even though Alucard was already hungry for more, he could not even imagine at that point just how _much_ more was awaiting him…

Standing at the edge of the wooded area of the north side of Richmond Park, Vseslav was watching a police car as it steadily drove towards him until it reached the end of the road. Then the vehicle parked at the curb, and its flickering lights turned on. After a short while, a police officer came out of it and leisurely walked up the hill to Vseslav.

"Quite late for a stroll, wouldn't you say, sir?"

"Who ever put you in charge of scheduling my strolls, officer?" Vseslav replied apathetically and then added after a quick pause, "And I would have responded in this way even if it wasn't the code phrase."

"I wouldn't even bother you at all if it weren't for our _business_," the officer smirked, "If there anything that I have learned over many years on this job it's that the less you stick your nose in other people's affairs – the longer you will live. You must be V… Vseslav, is it? Such an interesting name… what is it? Russian, I guess?"

"It's old Slavic," Vseslav said sternly, "As you just said, we are here for business, so let's get right to it. What's the update?"

"Sorry. I'm just trying to give the conversation a pleasant tone. It comes with the job, I suppose. With regards to my part, everything is proceeding towards the result that mister Alhambra is looking for. I have just contacted our precinct commander directly and told him that while I was patrolling my area, I witnessed a possible 'VRC,' or 'vampire-related case,' as we term it. I told him that I saw a man biting a woman and then dragging her into the woods. I gave my location and said that I was going to initiate foot pursuit. The commander yelled something back, but I hung up…"

"And? What is going to happen next?"

"The thing that always happens in such cases, of course," the officer smirked, "Our precinct commander is very 'diligent' when it comes to VRC's. I mean it sarcastically, of course. He is so 'diligent' that he prefers not to deal with the freaks at all in order not to lose officers. The majority of people in our department support such attitude, of course. So, he constantly kisses ass to Hellsing and calls them whenever we encounter vampires or other 'freaks of nature.' Personally, I too admire such an approach. I believe that stuff like that should only be dealt with by those who specifically signed up for something like that. So, our commander is probably on the phone with Hellsing right now, _begging_ for assistance. And just like always, in a little while their agent will be here, and that's where my participation in this whole business ends. I'm going to leave my vehicle as location identifier, of course, because as of this moment, I'm no longer on the force. I will make my way to the other side of the woods on foot and disappear. Because that is what happens to the majority of officers who choose to pursue freaks – they are never heard of again. I will be reported as missing and presumably killed in the line of duty and will receive a decorated and honorable discharge. At the time when they are giving salutations to my dedicated service, I will be warming my body on some tropical island, drinking juice out of a coconut. After all, Mister Alhambra has bought off the leftovers of my dignity at a very high price…"

"I see," Vseslav nodded, "Well, at least you are honest about that. The majority of people would never openly say things like that about themselves."

"It's not like it can do anything to me now. Over the years I've learned that humility and decency don't pay. You try to be nice to people, and they step over you. So, why not be an asshole like everybody else and get your share of goodies before someone takes it? Well, I think I have to be off now. I believe that the one whom you are waiting for will be arriving shortly, and I certainly don't want to be involved in anything else regarding this whole business. Is it all right if leave this way?"

"Yes."

"Well, have yourself a good night and be safe, sir," the officer said and then added with a smile, "Man, I'm so glad that this will be the last time when I get to say these words and pretend to mean it."

He walked past Vseslav into the woods and started making his way through. Looking at the Moon, Vseslav stood motionlessly for a while, listening to the softening sounds of footsteps on dried leaves and twigs. Then he looked over his shoulder.

"You know what?"

"Huh?" the officer turned around and looked at Vseslav, barely able to see him in the darkness from such distance.

"Humility and decency may not pay right away, but in the end they do turn out to be worthwhile having," Vseslav said coldly, "On the other hand, all you get in the end after having been an asshole for your entire life is payback. That's what I have seen happening to people over and over again."

"That may be!" the officer responded loudly and smirked, "But I have always been the 'in the now' kind of person. I live in the moment for the pleasure of it, and I don't concern myself too much with what can happen in distant future. When that payback comes to me, I will already have gotten everything that I have ever wanted out of life."

"Oh really? So what it your payback time is now?"

The officer realized that the voice came from behind. Before he could turn, he felt excruciating pain from something piecing through him. Shaking in agony and spitting out blood, he looked down at his chest and saw four massive blade-like claws sticking out of it. The next moment was his last, as the claws jerked upwards, slicing the upper part of his body into pieces. As the rest of it dropped on the ground, the silhouette that stood behind walked over it. The face of the man caught a glimpse of moonlight, revealing a sadistic smirk.

"See, even if you are an asshole, you can still be stepped over," he said in a mocking tone while watching his arm, covered in blood, regaining human shape, "All it takes is a bigger bastard than you are. Someone like me. Ah… I love this feeling so much."

Shaking his head, Vseslav turned away to look at the Moon again.

"Did it have to be so grisly, Victor?" he asked.

"Of course," the man responded with a wicked grin, "That _is_ the way of a monster, isn't it, father?"

"Yes. Yes it is, Victor," Vseslav sighed, "Get yourself ready. She should be getting here soon."

"Seriously? Get myself ready? Are you sure that that Hellsing bitch is worth my time?" Victor asked smugly, "Why do you get Alucard, and I get her?"

"Because I did you a favor and brought you here with me; so you get what I give you, or else I will take them both. And don't even try to make me think that you yourself believe that your teeth are big enough to bite a chunk out of Alucard," Vseslav replied somewhat irritably.

"All right, all right! I'm just not sure that she is in my league. She is powerful and all, but she is just a Hellsing dog… where did they even get her?"

"Probably some place very special. But I'm certain that she is an opponent to die for," Vseslav smiled slyly, continuing to look at the Moon, and then added softly, to himself, "Or to die _from_."

"What?"

"Nothing, son. Nothing. All right, now you can take it from here, according to the plan. Don't disappoint me, Victor. I expect a good show."

Covered in heavily bleeding gunshot wounds, Alucard didn't seem to be bothered much by them. Seeing how much effort Elizabeth was putting into what he considered to be just a playful shootout, he was at first amused by her naivety but then quickly became bored and disgusted with it. Ready to liven up the situation and possibly take it to a new level, he smirked and fired the 'jackal' for the first time during their fight. The shell hit Elizabeth in the stomach, and the power of the impact was so overwhelming that her body jolted backwards, and she barely managed to remain on her feet, groaning and spitting out blood. For a moment, she appeared dazed and disoriented. But the greatest surprise was yet to come. She looked down to access the damage and was terrified to see a saucer-sized hole through her body.

"W-what!?" she panted.

"When these silver nitrate shells explode inside you, not only your flesh gets torn apart, but the silver particles are being plunged everywhere into your tissue, magnifying damage greatly. Jackal is a pistol that can rival a cannon! This is what I call perfection!" Alucard exclaimed excitedly, "When I said that I was impressed with your guns, Elizabeth, I only meant that I was impressed with the mere fact that someone like _you_ had weapons of such moderate craftiness. But in truth, those toys of yours are only good for hunting vampire equivalent of quails, while the Jackal has been specifically designed to hunt big game! So far this night has been a complete disappointment! What else have you prepared for me, Elizabeth? If you expect me to die tonight by your hand, then you better think of something to kill me with other than boredom!"

Realizing that she had actually not gone a single step towards defeating Alucard made Elizabeth falter for a moment. The cloud of shadowy bats above her head was already almost gone, as most of them had merged their essence into her horrifying wound in order to heal it and restore the flesh. She looked down at her pistols, strapped them back to her hips and then raised her head and smirked.

"I suppose, I _was_ a little bit presumptuous, wasn't I? After all, you are certainly a _big _game, and I apparently haven't adjusted my _quail_ weapons for you. You cannot kill a lion with a sling, I suppose. Fortunately, I have enough hunters at my disposal to back me up."

She raised her arms and then brought them down sharply, summoning her familiars. In the next moment, Alucard found himself looking at a large group of men, armed with different weaponry and representing different times of history. Unable to control his thrill, he started clapping his hands and laughing delightedly.

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about! Look what we have here! The witch hunters from the American colonial age, the soldiers of the Civil War from both sides, the police from different times and places, and even street criminals! It this your fighting force of familiars? It looks more like an exhibition at a history museum! You haven't been particularly choosy when picking them, have you, Elizabeth? At least _I_ devoured my own army back in the days in order to have it handy. Have you summoned yours in flesh and blood by any chance?"

"You bet," she smirked, "It took me extra effort, but it was worth the entertainment, don't you agree? They are humans without pain and fear but with everything else that makes them useful. You will have to rip them apart to make them stop fighting."

"It's… It's incredible," Alucard grinned, releasing the regular magazines from both pistols and loading magazines with silver cyanide rounds instead, "What I actually mean to say is that it's incredibly stupid! The Jackal may not be able to eat them all at once, but the Viper has enough venom for everybody!"

Meanwhile, back at the Richmond Park, Seras have arrived on the scene, holding a medium-sized assault rifle in her shadowy hand. She landed by the abandoned police car, quickly surveyed the surroundings and the turned on the communication device.

"As requested, I'm reporting my arrival to the scene, Sir Integra," she spoke into the microphone somewhat irritably and with obviously pretentious fervor, "There seems to be nothing else at this point that I deem worthy or reporting. I will provide updates if I decide that they are worthy of your attention. Over!"

She turned off the communication and exhaled forcefully.

"What was that supposed to mean? 'I was busy with my _toys_, so she had to send Alucard on an assignment alone?'" she muttered angrily to herself, "Toys? She was saying it figuratively, of course, but why make such an accent on it? It sounded like she referred to me as a kid who was in her playroom taking care of her toys. I didn't even have a playroom for most of my life as a kid… and I didn't have many toy, either… but… that's besides the point, I guess… She just seems to sometimes forget that I'm technically only a few years younger than she is… Ha! But I don't have any wrinkles, so there! I'd rather play with _toys _than have wrinkles!"

She looked inside the vehicle to ensure that it was empty, and then continued grumbling.

"I mean, now that Master has returned, we aren't attached at the hip or anything, but going on assignments with him is so much fun. But instead I get to be stuck with this now! Come to think of it, I kind of admire this cop. He chose to pursue a vampire. What a brave idiot. The majority of humans, even cops, usually run away to save their lives. Just as _I_ did back then when _I_ was a cop – I ran away when I had a chance and… hm… and ended up having been shot in the chest, got turned into a vampire and… eh… yeah, not a good example overall, but it did turn out all right in the end. And what about you, officer 'Commando?' Why didn't you just run away? I'm sorry, but I'm almost certain that right now you are lying somewhere nearby, having been completely drained of blood. Or worse yet, you are walking around without even understanding who you are anymore. It better not be the latter, because then I will have to kill you again. Now, let's see."

She looked down and with her vampiric vision saw tracks that appeared to be leading to the woods. She eyed the edge of the forest, pulled the slide of her rifle and started making her way up the hill.

In the meantime, hiding in the foliage of a tree at a conveniently chosen location some distance away, Eye was observing the situation. Watching Seras walking up the hill, he turned on his microphone.

"The _spirited sheep_ has just arrived to the slaughter house," he said, "No update on the _wise sheep_, though."

"That's why she is the _wise_ sheep," he heard the response in his earpiece, "She has not left the mansion and doesn't seem to be planning to, as far as I can tell. No transport appears to be being prepared."

"I guess, that means that you _do_ get to perform the _in-house_ service, Father," Eye smirked, "Honestly, I thought that _you_ would be the one left out, and not me. Anyway, I'll just stick around in case you screw up, ha-ha!"

"As if that can ever happen on a night like this. The Moon is beautiful tonight isn't it? And _shadows never lose a fight… while the Moon awards its light_."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Away from the back side of the wall that surrounded the Hellsing manor, a hooded dark silhouette of Father Gregory was standing in the bushes.

"Ah, what a breathtaking sight," he spoke admiringly, looking at the Moon and smiling, "Who can even enjoy the Sun this way? All that one can get from looking at the Sun is blindness. Why punish those who wish to enjoy your beauty? The magnificence of the Moon, on the other hand, can always be marveled at. However, so fewer humans appreciate the Moon as compared to the Sun. Of course, it's the Sun that makes the Moon shine, so it's basically the same light – or so they say. And yet, it has never hurt me, _a vampire_. Those ignorant fools with their observatories and telescopes can demean the existence of the Moon all they want, assigning it a simple role of the Earth's natural satellite, but only a monster such as myself can truly feel and understand its greatness. I wish I could show them the true power of the Moon. But then I would have to kill them all because they didn't deserve to witness it. Only those who appreciate it get enjoy its grace. There is never a better way to appreciate its splendor on nights like this than to pay a little tribute to it every time. _By the Moon's mischievous spell, rise, my friends, from pits of Hell_!"

Having said those words, Gregory looked down and smiled: aside from his own shadow, six more appeared from underneath his feet and spread out on the ground around him. Then all of them, except for his own, stood up straight, and their connection to him faded. Neither of them resembled him in size or shape, and two of them even had noticeably nonhuman proportions.

"Welcome yet again, my friends," Gregory greeted the shadows, turning around and giving each one an acknowledging look, "In the night of its fullest magnificence and elegance, the Moon, as always, using me as the medium, has generously given you a bit of time to enjoy yourself in _this_ world. You know that I strive to prepare best entertainment for you every time. I not going to hide the truth from you: while I expect this night to be a great deal of fun all of us, I have great personal interest in what we are about to. Tonight we shall take vengeance on one of the most insolent human legacies that Darkness has ever faced. You know better than I do that humans for generations have fought Darkness in all shapes and forms, and using all means available to them; and Darkness has always countered laudably. Everything had been considered a fair game… until a man with a name Van Hellsing came about… As you very well know, he was the one by whose hand Count Dracula has suffered his last defeat. It would have been perfectly fine if everything just ended there. But that arrogant man decided to go much further. He humiliated the King of Vampires by forcing him into serfdom and inverting his name! And through years of living in such condition, Dracula's mind has become poisoned with human virtues. He has accepted his new nature, turned his back on Darkness and joined the human side. Many of our brothers and sisters believe that he has done so of his own accord. I refuse to acknowledge such nonsense! Humanity can corrupt Darkness just as much as Darkness can corrupt humanity. After many years spent with humans and their piteous existence, Dracula's heart must have softened – for his own trouble, because a softer heart is easier to pierce! Let us not forget that, obeying orders of a human, he had been thrown into oblivion for thirty years, and yet he returned to the very same human. And to his precious Draculina, who also serves that human. I say that no one other than that human is responsible for such disgrace of Count Dracula. The King of Vampires, the ultimate token of power, the Dark paragon of glory… neither he nor those who accepted Darkness from under his own fangs would have ever sided with humans if it hadn't been for Van Hellsing and his wretched lineage. And that lineage is now at its dead-end, lying on shoulder of an aging, childless woman. 'Why bother?' you may ask, 'Why not just wait until her age takes its toll?' I'll tell you why! Because only her death by the hand of those who are Dracula's true kind will enrage him to the point where he will remember who he truly is – a monster from pits of Hell, just like all of us. I do not wish any of your or myself to become his enemies. I only wish to destroy the only thing that had made him forget who his _true friends_ are. And that is why we must take this opportunity when everything has been arranged so that he and his precious Draculina are not going to get in our way. I do not wish to fight either of them. I wish to save them from that delusional belief in humanity that encroached their minds like poison. Let's liberate them from servitude to that phony '_human kindness_,' which has actually taken incomparably more lives than all forces of Darkness combined will ever be able to! I understand how tempting it is to believe in humility of humans. After all, I too have spent years caught in that lie. But it took me one fateful night in order to realize that there was much more humility on the dark side than human can ever have. When those of whom I thought as friends ran away, holding the bottoms of their robes in their hands, I realized what the true worth of '_human_ _kindness_' was. And then I found the truth in the one who was going to kill me… in the one whose kind I had always regarded as monsters. And if I was able to see the truth, then Dracula, who has known it at along, will definitely be able to see it again. He just needs a little help, but doesn't realize it. And I believe that it is our duty to rid him of this veil of lies. During my years as a human and a Catholic, I thought of Hellsing as heathens who thrived to rival God's true divine instrument, the Vatican. After I became a monster and lost my faith in human virtues, my view of Hellsing has also changed. I now see it as several generations of brazenly wishful yet worthless humans who wanted to battle Darkness; but once they realized how vain their efforts were, they buried their main principle of standing against Darkness – and managed to recruit one of the most formidable creature from the rank of their enemy to fight on _their_ side. Hellsing has always reeked of hypocrisy and audacity, having never admitted that their fame and success in fighting Darkness cannot be attributed to anything else but Darkness _itself_! Thus, whether in human or monstrous eyes, Hellsing has always been my enemy. And tonight, the last remaining link of their historical chain of undeserved glory will perish under the gaze of the Moon. But… My friends, I want you to never forget that there has never been any obligation for you whatsoever to help me if you do not see the purpose as clear as I do. And if any of you do not wish to participate, you may simply take a step back right now, and I will think nothing of it…"

He took a pause, letting the meaning of his words settle in and awaiting response. When none of the shadows around him moved, he smiled satisfactorily.

"Very well. I will ask again once I give you the details, because the last thing that I want to do is presume on our friendship. Behind these walls, my friends, lie the Hellsing headquarters. Supposedly, the perimeter is under constant surveillance, and the building itself is guarded. While such laughable precautions obviously do not daunt me, I cannot be certain that I would be able to overcome them without making somebody aware of my presence. And if that happens, then our opportunity will be lost. This crushing blow can only be successful if it is sudden. You, my friends, are my only hope to land this blow as I see it fitting. Once again, I admit that this time I haven't just prepared _entertainment_ for all of us – I did it with additional purpose in mind. But if there is anything that I can promise you for sure, it is that this night will be the most interesting of all that you had ever had in this world after I had freed each one of you from your pathetic hosts. Aside from human masterminds, the premises are also protected by a very interesting creature. According to bishop M'Quve, who wholeheartedly considers me to be a secret ally of the Vatican for some reason, the Hellsing manor is shrouded by Seras Victoria's shadow. Apparently, Seras Victoria, the only living Draculina, who, just like her master, had allowed her magnificence to be reduced to serfdom, has infused the mansion with a portion of her shadow. The being that lives inside the walls of that house must be of extraordinary nature. A monstrous guardian shadow… it is host-broken, like all of you are, and yet its host, Seras Victoria, had _willingly_ set it free and is able to fully control it whenever she pleases. What a fascinating creature that shadow must be... Magnificent, mysterious, thrilling, tempting, and undoubtedly exciting to play with... You know how ecstatic I am about trying to understand the nature of shadows… Unfortunately, I cannot indulge this urge for exploration at this time, because everything else will be compromised if we are discovered early. So, you get to enjoy this miracle of Darkness first. Such big and naughty being is certainly very powerful, but the nature of its condition, if I understand anything at all about shadows, ought to bear one significant weakness: being so large, that shadow cannot be sighted. It has to rely on its host's commands or on its own ability to _feel_ presence of another creature within its domain. And if that's the case, then it shall be no problem for you to enter the mansion stealthily. Just as a lake will never notice a droplet of salty water added into it, that guardian shadow will never be able to recognize presence of another tiny shadows within. Still, you must keep in mind that dealing with that guardian shadow can be dangerous. If you decide to be bothersome guests, you might end up getting absorbed and devoured, so I would say that minding your manners is the best and only way to get inside the mansion safe and sound. Once there, you will need to quietly disable everyone and everything that may interfere with our fun – security forces, video surveillance and outside communications. According to the latest information that I have, they have a command center, two control rooms and three guard posts, including the one at the front gate, which I will take on by myself later on. I suggest that you only knock the humans out, rather than kill them, during that first stage. That way we will be able to fully enjoy feasting on them afterwards to celebrate the success. When everything is ready for the _main event_, I will join you. We will meet again in presence of Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. I will need your help in dealing with that guardian shadow while I put to rest that undeserving heiress of that bogus century-long legacy. As you can well imagine, I will not take much time at all with her. It has been long enough already, and gradual and quiet death is definitely not something that she deserves… So, that's my plan in the nutshell. I shall now repeat myself: those of you who do not wish to participate need to take a step back now. There will be no hard feelings, I promise…"

In response, the six shadows only made room in their circle around Gregory. As they did that, his own shadow rose from the ground and stood erect. All seven shadows then raised their arms and joined them above Gregory's head.

"Excellent," he smirked, "Now, go in there and put them into nightmare from which they will not awaken!"

Having entered the forest, Seras did not take long to discover the police officer's gruesomely mangled body. She looked around and then squatted to study the body closely.

"Well, I understand having a feast, but why make such a mess after yourself?" she muttered, "See, officer, that what happens to brave and dedicated idiots like you…"

"I wouldn't want to disappoint you, but he was not brave at all… and definitely not dedicated…"

Seras stood up immediately and pointed her rifle in the direction where the voice came from. She knew that just a moment ago nobody was there. But she also knew that it would only _take_ a moment for any vampire to move there from a concealed location nearby. And indeed, she saw a person standing by a tree, some distance away.

"Hm… you must be an interesting little fellow," she smirked, "I'm already surprised twice. For one, you have just had a fiesta here and you didn't bother to run away. And secondly, your executioner has just arrived, and you are revealing yourself as opposed to hiding and hoping that I won't find you."

"What if I had just decided to stick around for desert? That wasn't one of your thoughts, was it?"

In response, Seras fired a single round straight into his head. Watching the flight of the bullet, she was astonished when he simply bent his neck to the side and avoided getting shot in the forehead, without moving any other part of his body. She knew that any vampire could evade bullets if they wanted to, but it was his fearless attitude that baffled her. Over the years she has gotten used to a completely different reaction of those whom she had been sent to eliminate: the majority of them would always try to run away or defend themselves frenziedly.

"All right," she said curiously and somewhat tensely, lowering her rifle, "As I understand, this thing won't do anything if used head-on… Also, I somehow feel that everything is much more complicated than a case of meagerly intelligent vampire indulging his hunger… Care to break the ice? Who are you?"

"So far _you_ are the _interesting little fellow_ here," the person grinned, "First you shoot and then you ask questions. It should be the other way around if a pleasant dialogue is expected. Fortunately, a pleasant dialogue is not on my wish list at all. And whether you are curious or not as to what _is_ on my wish list, you, my dear, are already participating in it. Let's not take much time for talking. I'm Victor. That's my name and my nature. I hope that this little wordplay is not too complicated for you to understand."

"No, it isn't," Seras smiled slyly, "I'm just more used to letting my fists and bullets talk for me. That way I don't need to back up anything that say. You, on the other hand, have just given me a warrant to try and beat all your guts out of you and see if I get as much as you assert to have. And, going by your own logic, nothing whatsoever is already settled about all this. You are Victor… that's your name and your nature, as you said. Well, I'm Seras _Victoria_, and that's _my_ name and nature. How about that?"

"Hm… I've never thought of that before," Victor smirked, "Still, there can only be one winner."

"Winner? And what do you mean 'before?'" Seras asked confusedly and then her eyes widened as she understood the startling implication, "Wait, this is a set-up, isn't it?"

"Ha! You are a _true _blond, aren't you!?" Victor exclaimed mockingly, "I was wondering how much longer it would take you to start figuring things out. I hope that you weren't planning on asking about the nonexistent woman, who was supposedly attacked by a vampire, according to the police report that the Hellsing headquarters received!"

"What!?"

Realizing the seriousness of the situation but not understanding its full meaning, Seras didn't know how to react. Multiple thoughts began flooding her mind, making her unable to deliberate. She anxiously clenched the rifle in her hands, breathing angrily. But when the first wave of emotions passed, she sharply looked at Victor with a malicious smile on her face.

"I see… so, that's how it is, eh? You lured me here so you could fight me? Well, I don't care about your motives, but if it was a fight with me that you sought, then you got it! Whoever you are, you better brace yourself, because I will not hold back! I never do!"

"Ha-ha-ha!" Victor laughed, "You _are_ a _true_ blond, aren't you? You are saying that don't care about my motives? Really? Well, that makes it easier, I suppose. Those who live clueless must die clueless!"

With a lightening-fast speed, bouncing off trees in order to making it difficult for Seras to predict the trajectory of his movement, he darted at her. Surprised by such sudden attack, she didn't even prepare herself for it. He struck her in the chest with his shoulder, and the impact sent her flying backwards. She crashed into a tree back first and spat out blood all over her face. Victor immediately proceeded to follow up with another hit, but that time she was ready for it. She blocked his attack and countered with a devastating punch in the forehead. As he briefly lost balance, she uppercutted him and then kicked him in the stomach, knocking him backwards. While he was getting up and taking a moment to recuperate, she used her shadowy arm to retrieve her rifle that was lying on the ground approximately ten meters away, and fired several shots at him. She watched in slow motion how he, following the trajectory of the bullets and evading them, caught one in his palm and then immediately flung it back at her. Not expecting such turnabout, Seras couldn't dodge in time and the bullet pierced through her thigh. She winced from sharp pain, but did not retreat even one step.

"It's always possible to get hit by your own bullets, but _this_ is ridiculous, Seras! You are an idiot! What are you thinking trying to shoot this guy after you've seen his speed?" she heard Pip's voice in her head.

"Oh, good timing as always, Captain Bernadotte," she smiled sarcastically, "So, are you here to mock me or help me?"

"Ha, a little bit of both, perhaps."

"You never change, Captain."

"Do you?"

"Good point. Any plans?"

"Only one for now."

"What?"

"Try to hit him, avoid getting hit and don't do anything stupid – and we will go from there…"

"I could have figured that out by myself!" Seras exclaimed in her mind and focused her attention on Victor.

Looking at her spitefully, he grabbed his lower jaw with both hands and put it back in proper position with a dull cracking sound. He the wiped the stream of blood that was pouring down from the corner or his mouth and licked it from his palm.

"I'm impressed so far. No one has made me bleed in many years," he smirked, "But why don't you just drop those toys of yours? It's pathetic to see you eating your own shots like this. As they say, don't shoot if you are not ready to get shot yourself."

Without saying a word, Seras tossed the rifle aside and then immediately turned her shadowy arm into a series of spikes and cast them at Victor. As they came hear him, she felt a familiar yet forgotten sensation… The next scene caused her to shudder instinctively: Victor transformed into a terrifying monster, with shining aura radiating all over his body. Unable to pierce it, Seras's shadowy spikes surrounded it falteringly. Victor, on the other hand, did not hesitate for a moment. He grasped one of the spikes with his clawed paw and yanked on it.

"Oh, no-no-no-no-no!" Seras exclaimed impulsively, being tugged sharply towards him.

"Don't doze off! Be ready to attack or at least block, you idiot!" she heard Pip screaming in her mind.

"How about this!?"

Swiftly passing by a tree, she managed to grab one of its boughs and broke it off. Waiting on the other side with his clawed paw ready for the fatal strike, Victor did not expect Seras to arrive for her supposed execution bearing a three-meter-long club in her hands. With nearly perfect precision, she took a wide swing just in time and bashed him on the head, breaking the bough in half. While that didn't appear to have done any real damage to him, it dazzled him and made him miss with his attack. Using his confusion to her advantage, Seras pulled her shadow from his paw and immediately relocated herself further away in order to create some distance between them. The last place where she wanted to be was anywhere within range of his terrifying foot-long claws.

"Well, that explains everything, doesn't it?" she heard Pip's voice in her head.

"What do you mean?"

"He is a werewolf, isn't he?"

"Oh, thank you, 'captain Obvious,'" she replied sarcastically, "That realization is _very_ helpful right about now."

"Brings back memories, doesn't it, Seras? At least now we know what to expect and how to fight him, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose. So, what's the plan?"

"For now, keep doing what you are doing. With the only exception that you must stop letting your _lovely behind_ be kicked so easily."

"Stop it, Captain!" she exclaimed embarrassedly but then sighed and smiled, "But… I guess… I should just take it as a compliment from a very _straightforward guy_, as you called yourself recently, right? Besides, you aren't really suggesting that I'm getting _it_ kicked, are you, Captain? We are only getting started. He is a pretty scary one, I must admit. But he is not the _only_ monster around here…"

"Now we're talking, Seras!"

Firing round after round into the crowd of Elizabeth's familiars and reloading magazine after magazine, Alucard was purposely not taking his time to aim in order to test Bennett's theory. He realized very soon that it held true in reality: even those gunmen who could clearly continue fighting after having been shot in the arms and legs started quickly collapsing on the ground one by one. At the same time, however, it seemed that his own body was also beginning to yield under the barrage of bullets. Not bothering to dodge, he was taking in everything that was coming straight at him. As the last familiar fell on the ground, Alucard himself dropped on one knee, dripping blood all around.

"Ingenious, Bennett" he said excitedly, "It's just as you thought: poison does not distinguish between life and afterlife. Because it attacks something that lies far outside those concepts... living cells are always living cells, no matter what body they are in – human or monstrous…"

"Poison?" Elizabeth puckered her brow, unsure if she heard him correctly, "You have poison in your bullets? Who would ever think to make poisonous bullets!?"

"Someone who obviously spends much more time thinking than you do," Alucard smirked.

"That's ridiculous!"

"Someone like you could say that, I guess. But if you think about it, it took just two pistols to bring down your entire squad of meat shields. It went quite well with my principle of 'just one shot for every pathetic excrement of Darkness.' By the way, I'm eager to find out what else you have to fuel my fire. We are only getting started, aren't we? I demand more, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth looked taken aback for a moment but then grinned and started laughing.

"You a such a poser, Count! Look at you! On your knee already, bleeding like a stuck pig, but trying to pretend that you are all right! Where are you going to get more strength to take on _more_ of what I can give you? You have no familiars now… you have no reserves aside from what you have locked within your own essence, and it looks to me that you are pretty much out already! And if you think that that pathetic bunch that you just killed was all that I had, then you are quite mistaken, Count! There is plenty more where that came from. I do wonder, though, how many more of them it will take to eat up all your supply of bullets and all your leftover strength. What _will_ it take for you to helplessly drop on both of your knees so that we can reenact our centuries-old encounter, only with our roles reversed, so that _you_ will get to beg for your life before _me_?"

Alucard lowered his head and remained silent for a moment. Then he tucked his pistols in the inner folds of his coat and sighed sadly.

"I see. It's all the same with all of you," he said with growing fury in his voice, " I hoped to engage in something worthwhile, and yet it looks like I simply wasted my time. Was that your plan, Elizabeth? You expected to overwhelm me and run me down because you believed that you had more survival resources within you than I did? You are so pathetic that I cannot even laugh at you anymore! Do you think I _need_ those guns to kill a hundred like you? Or a thousand? It may be too horrible for humans to admit, but one of the few things that they have always been great at is devising ways to kill each other. So, over the centuries of my life I've kept up to date with development of human weaponry for the sake of my own amusement. Why tear somebody apart with my bare hands if I can cut them with a sword, shoot them with a gun, blow them up by crushing an airplane into them? It's just much more entertaining this way. But that doesn't mean that I have forgotten the basics of being a monster! Prepare yourself, Elizabeth! You will be sorry that you made me go back to those _basics_!"

Staring at her angrily, he stood up and spread his arms apart. Terrified, Elizabeth watched how all the bullets that he took into himself started slowly coming out of his wounds and falling on the ground, and then the wounds themselves began closing while reabsorbing the blood that was around them. Then his arms burst in shadowy flames, and he disappeared and immediately reappeared in front of her. He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her in the air.

"B-but… h-how?" she gasped, shocked and suffocating, "You… you were… I thought…"

"You thought that I was at my limit?" Alucard smirked, "You were right, I _was _at my limit… as you correctly suggested, giving up on having familiars should and does impact a vampire's survival. But not in _my_ case. You see, thirty years ago I accidentally absorbed a creature of very interesting nature. It could be anything it wanted and it could be anywhere it wanted. But it had to realize its own existence in order to be present. Before I could understand that, however, I got lost in my own world, amidst millions of essences. It turned out to be impossible to possess familiars and the essence of that creature at the same time. I took me a few moments to make the choice between the two, but it took me thirty years to correct the aftermath… And now, I'm anywhere and nowhere… as long as I'm aware of my own presence, I exist in this world… and as long as I believe that I'm unharmed, I will be… So, while there obviously _are_ limits for my body, my nature effectively makes them meaningless. Such ability is far better than having any number of familiars, don't you think? And speaking of familiars… you said that there were plenty more where that pathetic bunch came from. I actually wonder how much you are truly worth, Elizabeth…"

He released the grip on her neck, letting her fall on the ground, and then disappeared. Coughing and trying to catch her breath, Elizabeth anxiously looked around, trying to figure out where Alucard went. Suddenly, she heard his voice in her mind.

"Hm… to be honest, I expected a little more out of you, Elizabeth…"

"What!?" she panted, "Where the hell are you?"

"Where am I? Why, I'm in your inner world, of course. I can be anywhere I want, remember?"

"What? But that… that doesn't make any sense!" she exclaimed, continuing to nervously scan the surroundings, "Stop messing with my mind! Where are you?"

"It doesn't have to make sense, Elizabeth. And I'm surprised that you even consider limitations like that, having lived for nearly five hundred years… nothing truly makes sense in this world. And trying to make sense of things is pointless anyway. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean that it cannot exist. And even if you do understand something, most of the time that doesn't mean that you can deal with it or change it. For instance, it doesn't make sense to me that the majority of your familiars right here are helpless women and children… is that you survival pool? You have sucked the lives of people that weren't even going to fight you and couldn't even defend themselves? I admit that I've done things like that too in my days, but this is outrageous! These pitiful souls are the source of your power, Elizabeth!? That doesn't make sense to me, but you still exist, don't you, you pathetic coward? You dare to think of yourself as a vampire!? You took the lives of those who didn't have enough strength to even _try_ hold on to them! It is only fair if I put them to rest right here and right now! And something like that truly has to be done with bare hands!"

Spitting out blood, Elizabeth dropped on her knees. She felt terrifying and painful sensation as if she was being stabbed in the heart repeatedly, and with every strike a little part of her was dying inside. She looked at her palms and was horrified when she saw blood starting to ooze through the skin. At that point she realized that her body began bleeding everywhere. She felt blood running down her face and neck and also felt it soaking through her clothing.

"What is this? What are you doing?" she cried hysterically.

"I'm putting your pitiful familiars to rest as we speak," she heard Alucard respond softly, "Once their essence is freed, it has to leave your body somehow. As you know, blood is the medium through which life is transported. You've trapped their lives inside of you a long time ago. And now they will be leaving you… one by one… Who is bleeding like a stuck pig now, Elizabeth? Once I'm through with your little world made of these wretched souls, nature will take its toll on your five-hundred-year-old body. It will take me a little while to free every last of them with just my bare hands, but it's well worth it! Because after that I'll get to see your most dreadful fear coming to life, and I cannot wait to witness that!"

Meanwhile, back at the Hellsing mansion, Bennett was sharing with Integra the information from his underground investigation.

"…and so, as you can see, Sir Integra, I have compiled a preliminary list of seventeen more-or-less professional freelances who are believed to operate in London and its vicinity at this time," he continued commenting on the information files while browsing through them, "At the second stage of my investigation I was able to eliminate four of them… right here… and here… because I was able to confirm that they had been seen elsewhere during the timeframe in question. Out of the leftover thirteen, I managed to exclude seven more when I matched additional sources and references, including some detailed information that I obtained from miss Victoria herself. So, the remaining six… right here… are supposedly our primary suspects. I haven't gone into investigating those people one by one because… well, you understand my concerns, I suppose…"

"Of course," Integra replied ponderingly, "Going so deep could compromise the safety of our underground sources."

"Precisely," Bennett nodded and proceeded navigating through his electronic directories, "However, I also have an interesting account on one of those people right here… hm… either it's unusually slow today or… hm… I seem to be unable to get to my files… our internal server appears to be offline… that is a little strange, considering the fact that _I'm_ the one who is usually responsible for rebooting and maintaining it… and I haven't noticed any issues earlier today… if the connection doesn't restore itself in the next couple minutes, I might have to…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because in the next second he and Integra were knocked down on the floor from their seats by something that thrust itself though the window. When Bennett, covered in shattered glass, opened his eyes after a momentary blackout, he saw a hooded figure standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by six shadowy silhouettes.

"_When full Moon controls the sky, dead arise and living die_."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Realizing that an invasion might have just taken place, Seras's shadow immediately attempted to seize the intruders. Multiple shadowy arms appeared from the walls, ceiling and the floor and began blindly searching through space for anything that felt foreign. At that moment, the six shadows that stood around Gregory created six odd-looking gray clouds, which then quickly expanded across the room. They attached themselves to the walls, the floor and the ceiling, coating the entire inner perimeter of the room with thick fog and engulfing the arms of Seras's shadow within.

"Well, that takes care of that," Gregory smirked, "The _Mist of Abyss _is an infinite open space on one side and just ordinary fog on the other. From this side you can put your hand through it and feel the wall, while on the other side your guardian shadow is frantically grasping emptiness right now. The poor blind thing will not be able to realize that it is being fooled. Normally, I prefer _not_ to use one's handicap to my advantage, but this time I will gladly make an exception, provided that I'm going to need it for the rest of the night… After all, humanness _is_ a handicap from a monster's point of view… Hold that shadow tightly, boys. We will deal with it in the proper way a little later. For now, just make sure that it stays out of the way. And speaking of staying out of the way…"

He teleported in front of Bennett, grabbed him by the collar and tossed him against the wall. After smacking into it back first, Bennett dropped flat on his stomach but then quickly raised himself on an elbow and looked up in order to see his the assailant.

"You happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, human," Grerogy smirked, "Do yourself a favor, don't get involved and live a few moments longer, all right? And I promise you that afterwards I will kill you quickly and painlessly."

In the other corner of the room, Integra, having recovered from the sudden attack, attempted to pull out her concealed pistol with atomized silver tip rounds – and a terrifying realization struck her mind: she couldn't move. She felt as if her entire body was tied up. Afraid to discover that she was also unable to say anything, she nonetheless tried to speak.

"Bennett… I can't… move…"

He turned his head to look at her, and his eyes widened in shock. Not believing what he was seeing at first, he even shook his head, thinking that his sight or perception could have been affect from hitting the wall moments ago. But the scene before him did not change: behind Integra, both her and the attacker's shadows were standing upright, and the attacker's shadow was forcing Integra's shadow against the wall.

"I… I don't know what is more difficult, sir Integra – for me to put what I'm seeing into words or for you to believe them," Bennett uttered confusedly, "But right I'm watching _your_ shadow being incapacitated by _his _shadow…"

"What? My shadow? How can it… How can something… like that even be possible?"

"Hah! If you only knew how many times I've heard something along those lines before," Gregory grinned, "But to be fair, this time I expected a little more sophisticated reaction. After all, you are _not an ordinary_ _human_, sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsings. You own two monsters, one of which happens to be the most powerful vampire in the world, and the other is that vampire's offshoot. You've seen those creatures and _their_ shadows do things that the majority of people cannot imagine in their most horrifying nightmares. And for how many years have you had a gigantic monstrous shadow living within the walls of this mansion? And yet you are questioning capabilities of your _own_ shadow? Still, I'm not surprised, to be honest. It the attitude like that that makes human shadows one of the most miserable creatures in the world… What do you think a shadow is? I'm sure that some time during your life you were told that a shadow is just a product of a light source being partially blocked by an object – or something like that. But with you… being who you are, miss Integra, you have probably realized a long time ago that there was much more to a shadow than this nearly textbook definition. But have you ever thought that a _human_ shadow was capable of much more than just dragging along and behind you anywhere you went? I don't think so. I'm going to tell you a little secret, which you are going to take to your grave: a shadow of a living being is itself a _living being_. You shadow, sir Integra, is alive. You don't know that because you haven't thought of that, am I right? You raise your arm – and your shadow raises its. You sit down – and so does your shadow. The only thing that you know about your shadow, if you ever happen to think about it, is that it will always be with you, simply dragging along and mimicking everything that you are doing. In truth, however, your shadow does not simply _mimic_ you. That is a false assumption. Your shadow does the same things that you do because the relationship between you and your shadow is _perfect reciprocity_. It _has_ to do anything that you do because it is _a part of you_. Guess what happens when you ignore your shadow? It will ignore you in return, and your relationship will get reduced to mimicry. Because what is the best way for your shadow to ignore you? Obviously, it is to do the same things that you do so that it doesn't attract your attention. If you raised your arm, and your shadow didn't – you would immediately notice that, right? And let me tell you another secret – you shadow _wants_ you to notice and understand that it is actually a _living being_. But it cannot do that. _You_ must be first to take a step, for such is the nature of relationship between you and your shadow. If you are nice to it, it will be nice to you. I realized that when I was a small child. Ever since then, my shadow has been my best friend. I care for it, and it cares for me. I do what it wants, and in return it does what I want. And if you are _really_ good with shadows, you can even have 'part-timers,' like my friends over here. Of course, you have to rid them from _their own_ hosts first, but that's just something that you have to do. Once a shadow is free, there is no place for it to go other than Hell. A shadow wouldn't make it well it Heaven don't you think? Heaven is just not a place for a shadow to be in, I suppose. But as far as I understand, free shadows feel themselves at home in Hell. At least, I haven't heard any complaints… But they never forget who freed them and they can return to this world once in a while to play, as long as they have a medium, like me. Such relationship is much easier to understand if you are a monster, which is why it's quite common for _monsters_ to have shadows as allies. For humans, it is very rare, or so I believe… But the crucial thing about the nature of relationship between your shadow and you lies in its description, _perfect reciprocity_. Between you two, everything works for _both_ of you. If you are happy, then your shadow will be, too. If it is suffering – so will you… Your shadow is being restrained right now, and that means that _both_ of you cannot move. Generally, I'm not fond of stealthy tactics, because I prefer clean and open fight, but in this case there is just too much _interference _– your defensive forces, your guardian shadow and, finally, your useless butler… how about I kill him before your very eyes? I bet that the feeling will be terrifying, sir Integra… you will be able to _see_ everything, but you will not be able to _do_ anything…"

As Gregory said those words, Bennett rose from the floor, giving him a cold stare. He slowly proceeded to the corner where Integra had put her sword. Anticipating curious development, Gregory did not attempt to stop Bennett as he grabbed the scabbard, pulled the sword out of it, and then looked at Integra.

"I hope that you don't mind me using it, Sir Integra," he said firmly and the turned his head back to Gregory, "I'm quite a mediocre fencer, and I'm indeed fairly _useless_ as a fighter in general. But, whoever you are, if you expect that I will simply let you kill me, especially in front of the person who is most important to me, then you better not hold your hopes high. You said that you preferred clean and open fight. Well then, however short it may be, let's have it! I'm ready to keep on fighting until I stop breathing. Hellsing does not run from enemies, and its members never give up. I've lived with this philosophy for thirty years, but only at times like this I can truly show that I abide by it to the fullest. Granted, it will most likely be my first and final opportunity to actually fight for Hellsing, so… Sir, Integra, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve you, the Hellsing organization, and its noble yet largely unappreciated cause…"

"Just one thing, Bennett," Integra replied sternly.

"Ma'am?"

"It is not a part of Hellsing's philosophy to expect your demise in _any_ circumstances. You don't have my permission to die tonight, do you understand, Bennett? Live through this. Consider it an order."

"If that is what you wish, Sir Integra," Bennet nodded and took a defensive stance, "I will do my best to comply."

"You know, all that would have been very admirable and touching it weren't so painfully pathetic," Gregory smirked, "Blatant denial is such a hopeless way to cope with the inevitable that the only emotion it evokes in me is pity. But why not play along in this case? Fine, I'll humor both of you… So you are ready to fight me, human, is that right? I hope that these aren't just mere words, because in truth, I'm rather interested to find out what you can put forth… especially considering the fact that I have no weapons whatsoever, so I will have to fight you with my bare hands. That might even out the odds a little bit. Not that you will notice that anyway… Let us begin then, shall we?"

While the fight at the Hellsing manor, unbeknownst to Seras, was only about to begin, her own fight against the unusually ferocious and clearly overconfident werewolf named Victor was progressing quite rapidly. It hadn't taken Seras long to realize that her opponent's powers were the major basis of his weakness, for several reasons. For one, his preconceived perception of his own superiority over _any_ opponent appeared to have been challenged to the point of his bewilderment. Having begun the fight with adamant expectation of quick and easy success, and now facing powerful resistance, he appeared not to know how to handle the further development of the battle. Secondly, while his speed easily matched Seras's, it looked like he wasn't nearly as capable as her to control it. He had to over and over again use natural obstacles, such as trees, to change his course or slow himself down after another failed attack.

Having figured out the situation, Seras was now about to get the upper hand. It became evident to her that her opponent was mostly accustomed to quick and grossly unfair fights that were impossible for him to lose. Her first impression of him as 'dangerous beyond formidable' was now quickly changing. While he was undoubtedly very strong, swift and dangerous, she was no longer intimidated. Instead, wild excitement started building inside her. Apparently, Pip felt that progressive change in her morale right away, because she heard his approving remark.

"There we go, Seras. That's much better. There is nothing special about that guy, is there? He seems to be just a bully who has gotten used to being the strongest on his playground. Well, he is not on his playground anymore… Kicking his ass shouldn't be that hard…"

"And I imagine that it's even less harder to _talk_ about kicking someone's ass while peeking outside your comfortable world, located inside the person who is _actually_ fighting," Seras grinned.

"Ha-ha-ha! You may have a point there, Seras. Still, I've done my share of fighting, so what's wrong with observing battles if I cannot participate in them any longer?"

At that moment, Victor charged again, bouncing off trees and zigzagging like a ball in a pinball machine. Using her shadow, Seras got a hold of a nearby tree and pulled herself away in the last moment, seemingly enjoying the thrill.

"Who said that you couldn't participate? I've never forbidden that, have I? Getting a bit lazy there, Captain?" she remarked teasingly in her mind, continuing the dialogue with Pip.

"Hah! I sense a painfully obvious hint there, Seras. All right, let's do it together, then. Indeed, it has been a while… and the occasion is just perfect…"

"If you say so… but we need to figure out how to fight back. And I don't want to get anywhere near him… his strength is insane, even compared to mine. And using my shadow is risky too, as we have already found out…"

"Well, we have gone through something like that before, haven't we, Seras?"

"Yeah, but the situation was quite different…"

"True, but even so, I think that I have an idea…"

"Yes?"

She had to evade yet another attack and leaped aside, landing in a tree. The battle was turning more and more into a corrida, with Victor being the mad bull that kept charging and becoming angrier and angrier as he missed again and again, and with Seras being the world-class matador who derived awkward pleasure from putting herself in near-death situations and then escaping them.

With a ferocious expression on his face, Victor looked up to locate Seras and saw her standing horizontally on the trunk, above him.

"Do you want me to come up there, or will you finally come down and fight?" he growled, "How long are you going to keep on running away from me, you little bitch!?"

"I once heard one person say that a battle is won by default if you keep out of range," Seras smirked.

"He was either a dickhead or a coward, then! Fine, I'll play along. After all, I shouldn't expect a weakling like you to be willing to fight me face-to-face. Haaaaaaaaa!"

He pushed the tree with such tremendous force that a portion of its roots got wrenched out of the ground. With the help of her shadow, Seras easily managed to escape the situation while watching the tree tumble.

"Nice reaction, Seras!" she heard Pip's voice in her mind, "What a monster he is… tearing trees out of the ground like that… what's worse, he just called me a dickhead and a coward, if I'm not mistaken. So, it is now personal!"

"Heh-heh," Seras chuckled, "How is it personal between you and him if _I'm_ the one fighting?"

"Oh, can you stop that already, Seras? I told you that I was going to lend a hand, didn't I? Now, there is a quite large open area behind you, right? Don't look, just tell me if you know what I'm talking about."

"Yes."

"Well, you have to lure him there…"

"Hm… all right, I'll see what I can do. Besides, I'm getting tired of this anyway…"

She landed on the ground, some distance away from Victor and facing him.

"Fine," she said coldly, "Calling me a weakling and destroying the landscape just because you cannot get to me? Your strength is impressive, but I strongly suspect that it must compensate for a great deal of other things which you don't have. I've had enough and I'm pissed off… Going but what you have said about all this having been planned in order for you to have a fight with me – you should have come ready. Instead, all I'm seeing is your pathetic rage about me being something much more than you had expected. I don't have time for this, so I'll spare you from further embarrassment. Here I am, so come get some! Let's make it quick, because I don't plan to participate in this farce for much longer…"

"What!? How dare you taunt me, bitch!?" Victor exclaimed angrily, "I'll rip your head off and make a morning urinal out of your scull!"

As he dashed at her, she extended her shadowy arm to the side, wrapped it around the tree nearby and pulled sharply on it. The tree yielded, tilted and started falling down. Seras waited until the last moment to get away, ready for split-second action and expecting Victor not to be able or willing to change his course. When he finally made it to the spot where she just was, the tree crashed down on him.

"Brilliant, Seras!"

"Thanks. See, captain, I can tear trees out of the ground too," she grinned, landing on her feet and retreating further to the open area.

"Sure you can, but that was a good one… and perfectly executed, too! But we are not done, obviously…"

"Of course not. I was only trying to infuriate him even more so that he would completely stop thinking his actions through. And I'm sure that it worked. Give it a moment. So, what's the plan?"

"Nothing complicated, actually. I'm sure that you've noticed that he is quite clumsy with his abilities. Either he is like that in general, or you've pushed him to the level where he cannot fully control them. The bottom line is that he needs to utilize the objects around him to navigate himself so that he can use his speed effectively. In an open area, he will not be able to do that. You, on the other hand, can use your shadow to fully control your movements. You can even use it to fly. He will be greatly outmatched, and you will easily be able to catch him off guard. He is flesh and blood during the moments when he attacks. And once you lead him to make a mistake, I will be ready."

"You sound like you already have everything thought through, captain, " Seras smirked, "All right, I trust you… Let's go, then."

She looked at Victor, who was trapped under the tree, and saw him rising on all fours, lifting the entire tree with his back. He then sloped his body and shook the tree down, as it was a piece of grass. Having freed himself in such astounding manner, he stood up and then stretched his arms apart and arched his back, producing a series of dull cracking sounds while making all the dislocated and broken bones within him return to their proper state and orientation.

"Nice one," he grinned maliciously, looking at Seras, "Unfortunately for you, I don't break… You, on the other hand, are about to become a sack of bloody pulp and shattered bones…"

"Bring it on," she responded gravely and beckoned.

He charged at her again, and she cast a series of spiky projections from her shadowy arm at him, trying to disorient him on the go and foil his attack. She knew that she was taking a big risk by doing that, but she also knew that simply letting him come within striking distance bore a far greater risk. Ultimately, her attack ended up doing about as much as she expected: dodging the spikes on the move, Victor had lost the momentum and could not recover in time. His attack missed, and Seras had a chance to counter. But she also understood that if she counterattacked at that point, then she would have to engage in close combat right away, and she knew that that wouldn't help their plan. With that realization in mind, she instead used that moment to retreat closer to the open area behind her. Overwhelmed with rage and thrill, Victor proceeded to attack again, and Seras repeated her actions, luring him closer and closer to the glade. He was too busy enjoying himself during those moments to realize that he was simply swallowing cleverly prepared bait.

As the fight finally moved to the open area, Seras pulled back to the center, trying to secure the position. She knew that sooner or later Victor would have to realize that he was at a disadvantage, and therefore she had to make sure that the situation was as favorable as it could be, because a do-over was not an option. She understood the core of Pip's plan perfectly, but now she also had to execute it perfectly.

She leaned forward, creating a false impression that she was going to attack, and Victor went for it. Trying to outdo her and be the first to attack, he charged at her with lighting-fast speed – only to realize that he was covering the entire distance between them by himself. As Seras moved away, he continued dashing along his straight path, having nothing in his way to use to quickly slow himself down or change the course. Knowing that that was the time to act, Seras swiftly turned around, made her shadowy arm into a series of spiky projections and cast them at Victor from behind. Even if he knew what was about to happen, he had no way of evading it. Her shadow pierced his body in multiple places and tied around his arms and legs. Not giving him even a moment to react, she pulled his body sharply towards herself and lunged her knee in his spine. His body arched from such devastating impact and he groaned loudly. Having turned the tides of the battle so abruptly, Seras knew that it was now crucial that she continued dealing damage to him. As he started falling over her knee, she struck him fiercely in the chest with her fist, driving him into the ground. She then grabbed him by the neck, flung him in the air and then yanked on her shadow, which was still tying him up. As his body smashed against the ground, she stamped on his back with a wicked smile and started forcing her foot down.

"Seras, snap out of this!" she heard Pip screaming in her mind, "While we both enjoy your moments of monstrous rage, this particular time is not the one to indulge it! There may be more to him than you're thinking at this point, so let's just stick to the plan! He is incapacitated already, but it may not be for long, so don't raise the stakes without the need for it! Do you hear me, Seras? Besides, you wanted me to lend you a hand, so now is the time…"

His call made Seras regain her awareness. She pulled Victor up using her shadow and suspended him in the air right in front of herself. Conscious but dazed and debilitated, he didn't even try to struggle away and just looked at her emptily. At that moment, Pip partially came out of Seras's body, pulled the silver Wild Geese badge off her uniform and studied it briefly.

"Hah, such an odd feeling to be holding one of these again. And who could have known back then that one day it would come into such interesting use!? Then again, what can be _more_ _fitting_ for the job in this case?" he smirked and then looked at Victor, "And as for you… just for the record, I'm neither a dickhead nor a coward. I'm a strategist. And _you_, sir, happen to be one of the most sickening bastards that I have ever net. And I'm gladly issuing you this one-way ticket to the pits of Hell!"

Clenching the badge in his fist, Pip struck Victor in the chest, pierced through it and then pulled his arm out, leaving the badge inside. Seras then let go of Victor's body and, together with Pip, they watched it burn away in blue flames, releasing a shining spirit in a form of a werewolf, which quickly ascend into the night sky while howling echoingly. As it disappeared completely, Seras looked down at the small pile of leftover ashes and the squatted by it. She dug her fingers into it and retrieved the badge, which immediately started smoking and sizzling in her hand, despite that she was wearing gloves. Without even slightest acknowledgment of pain on her face, she pinned the badge back onto her uniform.

"You were right, captain. It _does_ brings back memories," she sighed, "It's just too bad that they had to be awaken for such pathetic cause."

"Hey, what kind of a talk is that?" Pip grinned, slowly sinking back into her body, "I think that it was meaningful in many respects. You were brilliant as always, Seras, and I… well, I have stolen the show, come to think of it. Perhaps, I should have just let you grind him into pulp and enjoy the view. Who knows, maybe silver is not the only way to kill werewolves. But I just wanted to make sure… And, besides, he suggested that I was dickhead and a coward, so I had to pay him back… What man can just sit back when others call him names? The bastard didn't know that I could hear him, but that's besides the point."

"Somehow I think that you actually _were_ more worried about payback than anything else," Seras smirked, "But it's all right. It has been thirty years since I last saw you in action like that. Maybe, I should call you out more often?"

"Ha-ha, I don't know about that, Seras! As far as I understand, our relationship is already quite unique. I live freely inside your world, and we can converse every now and then. I don't think that many vampires have such relationship with their familiars. I believe that I already have much more liberty than they do, and I'm afraid that if I become an even more prominent part of your consciousness and existence, then you will get messed up in the head or something. So, with that in mind and seeing that we are done here, I will be off for now. That was a very interesting night, Seras. Still, I'd rather not have another one like that for a while… As fun as it was, it was also pretty fucked up…"

"Indeed it was, captain," she replied ponderingly, looking that the Moon.

Meanwhile, back at the Hellsing manor, Bennett backed away after receiving yet another punch in the stomach. Breathing heavily, he leaned against the wall while staring indignantly at his opponent. Standing in the middle of the room with smirk on his face, Gregory crackled his knuckles on the right hand. He had a small bleeding cut on his chin, along with a larger one across his left palm, and his coat also had several long cuts on the chest and sleeves.

"I must say that that turned out to be just _mildly_ pathetic," he said, "When you said that you were a mediocre fencer, that was an understatement. You are actually pretty skilled for someone whose ordinary duties include serving meals, making beds and answering calls. You understand, of course, that I'm going easy on you, right?"

"If you say so," Bennett replied frigidly.

He took a few quick steps forward and swung the sword crosswise several times, almost reaching Gregory's face and causing him to back away, and then followed up with a chop. Instead of dodging, Gregory raised his left palm and caught the blade in mid-air.

"See, I got it this time," he grinned, "And I think we should break here. I keep ignoring my vampiric senses and abilities, and I can still read your movements like an open book. I don't intend to continue."

He pulled on the blade sharply, causing Bennett to lean forward and release the handle of the sword, and then landed a punch in his face. Knocked back by the blow, Bennett hit the wall back first and slid down to the sitting position. He immediately attempted to stand up but appeared to be having trouble holding his balance.

"I'm not done yet."

"Oh, please, don't spoil the mood, human," Gregory winced, "You have put up quite a fight before your most important person here, and that was admirable. But now you are clearly finished and yet you are trying to show that you have something left. That's posing, and I hate that. You look like as if I pushed you down, you wouldn't be able stand up again. You have taken more than enough of my punches. Your body is done, human, regardless of what you mind is saying."

"Not yet…"

"I told you to stop that. I hate it when people put on airs."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Bennett breathing laboriously, "Standing around isn't going to bring me down or shut me up. Come on, fight me. I'm ready."

"No, you aren't," Gregory sighed pityingly, "I already told you that I didn't intend to continue it with you… your turn is over."

"You will not lay a finger of sir Integra while I'm alive."

Bennett pushed himself away from the wall, made his was across the room and stood between Gregory and Integra.

"You just won't give up, will you?" Gregory said vexedly, shaking his head in disapproval, "Don't you understand that there is nothing that you can do to save her? Well, I guess I'm just going to have to put you out of your embarrassment and misery now and let her watch. After all, our little children's fight made me a little hungry."

He seized Bennett, twisting his arm, and turned him around to face Integra. Seeing her glare, Gregory decided to tease her a little bit and opened his mouth, exposing his fangs, and then leaned towards Bennett's neck.

"Oh, would you look at that," he grinned looking her straight in the face, "What a thick, meaty neck your butler has. I cannot pass on such an appetizing snack. Don't worry, it won't take long. Just give me a moment, and I will be with you…"

He opened his jaws widely and slowly lowered his head, ready to bite. In desperate rage, Integra watched how Gregory's teeth began sinking into Bennett's neck. She looked him in the face and her eyes widened in disbelief: out of all possible face expressions, a sly smile was most unexpected.

In the next moment, something popped loudly around Bennett's neck, producing a cloud of glittering particles. Gasping and puffing clouds of smoke out of his mouth, Gregory retreated instinctively, holding his throat with one hand and covering his face with the other. With unanticipated agility, Bennett turned around, pulled a small vial from the inner pocket of his suit, opened it and splashed the contents in Gregory's face. The vampire groaned in pain and retreated further, and his face and arm began smoking as well, while the liquid appeared to be etching the flesh. Without wasting a second, Bennett pulled out his sterling dagger from behind his tie, took a step closer to Gregory and stabbed him in the heart, forcing the blade in up to the handle.

Everything happened so quickly that Integra thought at first that she was just imagining things. As Gregory drew his last breath, convulsing and coughing up blood, his body burst into blue flames and rapidly burned away. At the same time, all the shadows in the room faded at once. Apparently, even for them everything happened so quickly that they weren't ready to react at all. With the shadows gone, their spell also dissipated, and the room cleared of the thick fog that was coating the floor, the ceiling and the walls. And when the fog disappeared, multiple arms of Seras's shadow forced themselves into the room, aggressively grasping everything that they came across, while trying to figure out whether what they were holding felt foreign.

"Dammit!" Integra exclaimed, being snatched by one of the shadowy arms, "Just let me go, it's me! Integra Hellsing!"

"It cannot hear you, ma'am. I'm pretty sure that we've gone over this with miss Victoria. Without her being present in the mansion, her shadow can only rely on its own sense of touch. Just don't struggle, and it will let you go soon."

Integra looked at Bennett and smirked: he was being held upside-down with his tie handing across his face.

"Tell me something, Bennett. Have you ever had second thoughts about working for Hellsing?" she asked sarcastically and chuckled.

"Never, ma'am. Where else does one get to explore such interesting realms that lie far beyond human understanding or concern? Today, for example, was yet another day of discovery for me…"

"Yes, and for me too," she replied ponderingly, "Speaking of which. Can you explain me what happened?"

"Anything is particular, ma'am?"

"Everything, Bennett. Starting from that thing on your neck. What the hell was that? The same goes for that little bottle… holy water, I presume?"

"Yes, ma'am. From Manchester Cathedral."

Right then, the shadowy arms, having figured out that no intruders were present, started retracting, and Integra and Bennett were finally released back on the floor.

"I suppose, an explanation is due at this point," Bennett said contently, "As you know, I do have some _emergency anti-vampire equipment_,as I call it, on me at all times. The vial of holy water is one. The sterling-silver dagger is another, but you have seen it before, if I'm not mistaken. Finally, that _thing_ on my neck that you referred to is a prototype of an anti-vampire neck pad of my own design. Each of them needs to be created individually because the color must perfectly match the color of the person's skin. The pad itself is nothing but two layers of sturdy yet elastic hypoallergenic polymer with a space between. That space is highly pressured and contains air mixed with silver dust. Once the airtightness is lost due to puncture, the pressure ruptures the entire casing, just as in case of an air balloon. And of course, the contents are then expelled in all directions, as you just saw. Since I was the one who designed it, I thought that it would only be fitting if I were the first to try it. And by that I mean wear it for a couple of days and see how it feels to have it on constantly, and also see if any of you notice anything. The fact that we got an opportunity to test it _in action_ was... for the lack of a better term, very convenient. I do have to apologize, though, because I should have let you know about my development right away; but, as you know, I try to make sure that everything that I bring before you is safe. I had it made about a week ago, and I was about to tell you, actually. I wanted it to be a surprise, and... well, it was a surprise, I suppose. Just not in the sense that I wanted it to be."

"Yes, quite a surprise indeed," Integra smirked, "But I have to say that I'm impressed, Bennett. Truly impressed. With that pad of yours and with everything else that I saw today. To be honest, I thought that both of us were goners."

"I thought so too, ma'am," Bennett nodded, "But when you get an opponent who thinks that he so invulnerable that he decides to tell you everything that you need to know in order to defeat him – well, it's a shame not to use such an opportunity. While what I saw today blew my mind away, I was able to make sense of it using his own words. He said that the relationship between the host and the shadow is perfectly reciprocal and that he acted as a medium for those other shadows. The conclusion that I made out of that was that _he_ was the only enemy worthy of attention. With him incapacitated, his shadow would be incapacitated as well... and with him dead, _all_ of the shadows would simply cease to be in this world. So, I pretended to have been weakened to the point where I could barely stand. Any predator reacts to a weakened pray with undue excitement, and, apparently, it that goes for vampires as well..."

"Even after thirty years you never cease to amaze me, Bennett," Integra smiled, "Although I do wonder now – am I insane for wanting to ask my shadow if it is all right?"

"I thought about the same thing, ma'am. But I'd rather keep everything as it is right now… I think that the relationship between humans and their shadow ought to remain at the level of double-sided ignorance. Otherwise a great deal of people would make best friends out of their shadows, and what kind of world will we have then? Not much worse than now, I suppose, but still..."

"True," she nodded, "And it wouldn't obviously be just for the fun of it… I found it very frightening to be immobilized through my own shadow. And that vampire had six more besides his own… he seemed to know a great deal about shadows, including Seras's shadow…"

"Indeed. He came prepared…"

As Bennett said the word _prepared_, he and Integra immediately looked at each other, stunned. The raw emotions from their very recent troubling encounter had already cleared from the minds, and their brains could now logically process the aftermath. And it took one word for the terrifying realization to strike them like lightening. Everything had been _prepared_… Without saying a word to each other, they rushed out of the office.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Looking down at the small pile of ashes – all that was left of Victor – Seras sighed and shook her head.

"Regardless of how powerful you are, you are all the same at the end," she muttered coldly, "If you

live like a monster, then you will die like a monster. It's creatures like you that make me question my existence every now and then. I may be a monster in the body, but I'm not a monster in my heart… for the most part. _Having a monstrous body doesn't compel anyone to a have monstrous heart_. So, why are you all the same?"

I too have pondered upon that question for many years…"

Seras turned around swiftly, taking defensive stance and getting ready for another battle, but, to her surprise, saw a silhouette who was tranquilly standing by a tree nearby.

"Please, don't misinterpret the situation, Seras Victoria the Draculina," he said calmly, "I'm not here to fight you or harm you in any way… And I apologize if I made you think otherwise."

Such polite, personal and formal address, combined with the overall awkwardness of the circumstances, perplexed her.

"W-what?" was all that she managed to utter in response.

"I perfectly understand your confusion," the person smiled, "And the first thing that I'd like to say to you is that you must never denigrate your existence by comparing yourself to the likes of him. You are the _rarity_ among us, and he… well, like you said, he was just an _ordinary monster_ with monstrous heart… "

"_Us_? You mean monsters, right?"

"Yes. In one sense or another."

"My instincts are telling me to be extremely wary right now," she smirked, "Because, aside from my Master, all other monsters that I have ever met tried to kill me… or at least plotted to."

"It has always been like that," the person sighed, "The majority of us have always tended to assume roles which have never been forced onto them. Like the one whose pathetic remains lie before your feet. Speaking of which, I need to thank you…"

"Thank me? For what?"

"For ridding the world of this excretion of Hell that happened to be my son…"

Seras's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Your son? Are you saying that you let me kill your son while you watched?"

"And that was a spectacular sight, I must say. But yes, I let you kill him and didn't interfere. What's more, I played his unduly high sense of superiority in order to make him come here and get killed by you. And what's even more, I would have killed him myself a long time ago if I could. Unfortunately, it is a part of my kind's nature to be unable to turn against one's own lineage…"

"What? I don't understand pretty much anything at this point, but what kind of a father does that make you if you had seriously considered killing your child?" Seras looked at the man contemptuously.

"Your reaction is a definite indicator that your heart is indeed _not_ that of a monster, Seras Victoria. But as I have already told you, please, don't misinterpret the situation. I have always tried to be a good father to my children. My first six turned out quite well. Born monsters into human world, they embraced every shred of their humanness and have tried as hard as they could to cast aside their innate bestial selves. But Victor was completely different. He came much later, during very different times. Having him was one of the gravest mistakes of my life. Born a monster into human world, he had a choice to make. And he chose the way of the monster. The path of cruelty. The road of blood. The life of getting pleasure from bringing pain and death to others. Do you know how many humans he has killed for the sole purpose of indulging his monstrous urges during the last two hundred years? I don't even know myself. People go missing every day in this world, and who knows how many of them have disappeared because of him. Throughout his entire life I've been trying to turn him around, but my efforts were vain. A werewolf cannot go against his own flesh and blood, so I couldn't end his wretched existence by myself. And I presume that none of his opponents until today have ever been even close to his level. While I understand that you might find it cruel of anyone who dares to call himself a father to say things like that, but an unbearable weight has been lifted from my shoulder today. I'm very grateful to you, Seras Victoria. However, no matter what I did and how much I tried, I would never be able to make amends to the world for the evil that came out of my flesh and blood in the form of my son. The toll that his existence has taken on his victims has always been and will be my burden until my end. Fortunately, I don't feel that I have much time left…"

After he finished talking, there was a long moment of silence. Dumbfounded by what she had just heard, Seras was looking past him, far into the forest. She didn't know what to say or do at that point. Nor she knew if she could believe him or, for that matter, if she even had to concern herself with it.

"What's your name?" she finally asked the first question of choice that popped up in her mind.

"It's Vseslav," he responded calmly, "Also known as Vseslav the Seer, Vseslav the Sorcerer, Vseslav of Polotsk. But I don't suppose that those variations mean anything to you unless you possess deep knowledge of Medieval Slavic history. And I don't think that you do. I'm not trying to offend you in any way, but I just think that it is quite uncommon to find anyone nowadays who is interested in any history whatsoever, let alone the history of Medieval Slavs."

"Medieval? Hm… Are you implying that you are… How old are you? V-Vseslav, is it?"

"Much too old," he smirked, "But if such vague answer does not satisfy your interest, then I can give you a more meaningful estimate – I'm roughly three hundred years older than your Master."

"I see," she replied ponderingly and slightly curiously, and then eyed him again, this time more carefully, "But you know, somehow I don't get surprised much by anything anymore… Perhaps, I should be, but e_ven_ _thirty_ _years_ spent in the world that lies far beyond human understanding and reasoning make most unusual things seem rather drab."

"I agree completely. And it's only natural this way," Vseslav nodded lightly, looking at her, "Also, I don't want to impose, but you look beautiful in moonlight, Seras Victoria. And the sight of your own blood on your face gives it a mysteriously attractive touch that only a monster could really appreciate…"

In response, she only wiped her face with her hand. Without saying a word, they continued staring at each other for a while. As the silence started becoming awkward and tense, Seras broke it without any hesitation, having lost patience.

"So, what now?" she asked sternly, "I just killed your son, and you regarded that as a favor. That's fine by me, because he got what he deserved, and it's really not my business to pass judgment on you in this case. But somehow I now feel that there is more to all this. Am I right, Vseslav?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he replied, "The death of my son was not even a part of the depraved plan of the man whose instructions I was expected to follow. According to them, I was supposed to murder you before your Master's eyes…"

Seras's shadowy arm immediately transformed into multiple spear-like projections, and they bunched around her, defending her, pointing in all directions and quivering like scorpion's stingers.

"Well, best of luck with that," she smirked, glaring at Vseslav, "And what is the point of that plan anyway? What do you mean before my Master's eyes? He is obviously not here..."

"Of course he isn't," Vseslav responded calmly, "Because he is supposed to be somewhere else right now. And _you_ are supposed to be here. Both of you are supposed to be away from each other and from the Hellsing Headquarters… According to the plan, that is…"

It took a moment for those words settle in her mind, and the she felt blood chilling in her veins as she realized the terrifying implication.

"Sir Integra… Bennett… " she whispered in shock.

"While it is only natural for you to worry about them in such situation, there is actually no need to, believe me," Vseslav said in such inappropriately soothing tone that it was unclear at first whether he was being genuine or just teasing, "The creature that was supposed to eliminate them has effectively eliminated _himself_ a number of years ago. Having lost his belief in _collective_ humanity, he gave up _his own _humanity. I suspect that he, just like my son, thought that he had found something extraordinary in living like a true monster. In truth, however, the only thing that he had found was his own inevitable demise by the hand of those whom he considered his prey. That is the true fate of a true monster. And his will not be any different. The Hellsing manor will become his tomb tonight, if it hasn't already…"

"You're speaking with such certainty as if you personally have control over any of that," Seras said irritably and anxiously at the same time, unsure what to do next.

"I have seen more than enough during my life to be able to speak with such certainty, Seras Victoria. The only thing that justice is contingent upon is _time_. Humans or monsters, everyone gets their _just deserts _sooner or later. And I'm sure that you too have seen evidence of that. But in this case you don't even need to bother your memory for examples. All you have to do is look down by your feet at whatever is left of my foolish son. He got his _just deserts_. And so will the man whose vile ambitions have brought us face to face tonight. His plan is such an abominable product of perfect harmony of vindictive mind and black heart that even demons from the deepest pits of Hell would probably regard it highly. But no matter how well this plan has been thought through, it is crumbling on all sides as we speak. Until this point, the route that that man had offered me has been taking me along the path that I wanted to follow. But here is where I part in direction of my own choosing. I do not intend to help him satisfy his spiteful desires…"

"Enough!" Seras exclaimed angrily and impatiently, "I don't really care why our enemies do what they do! And I don't care what _you_ want, either! The only thing that matters at times like that is that others declare war against us and that we have to fight back. I don't give a damn what their motives are. I have lived by that principle for the last thirty years, and it is not going to change now! And you better be correct about Bennett and Sir Integra being all right. I simply cannot even imagine the alternative. But somehow I know that I can trust your words. I cannot explain that feeling – I don't know you and yet I have no doubt that you are telling the truth. But I want to know who that man is. You said that _just deserts_ were only contingent upon _time_. Well, he determined _his_ time when he decided to go against us. Now, tell me, who is that man?"

"You will find out who that creature with human body and monstrous heart is soon enough," Vseslav replied composedly, "But only after _I_ get what I need. I hate to put it this way, Seras Victoria, but there is something that I need from you, and I intend to get it no matter what."

"So, that's how it is," she uttered gravely, staring fiercely at him, "You seem to be a very poor negotiator, Vseslav. But just out of curiosity, what is it that you need with me?"

"Not much really. All I need you to do is to summon your Master right here and right now. I must fight him in order to make my _ultimate wish_ of many centuries to finally come true…"

"Hah," she smirked, "Two things. Firstly, I don't know what you are talking about. He is obviously not here, and I don't know where he is, let alone how to _summon_ him here. And secondly, even if I knew, I would never set him up like that."

"Please, don't make it harder on both of us," Vseslav sighed and shook his head in discontent, "To answer you first point, just because you have never done it before doesn't mean that you cannot communicate to him while he is not around. I'm sure that you have heard him talking to you in your mind before. _You_ can talk to him in the same way. Since he was the one who has given you your afterlife, his mind and yours are connected. You just haven't discovered _your_ side of that connection yet, but it is easy to do right here on the spot. Now, with regards to your refusing to set him up… It's admirable and all, but you are not actually setting him up, if you think about it. I'm not laying a trap for him; I just want to have a clean fight. One monster versus another. In fact, I'm sure that he will appreciate that a great deal. Either way, you will be doing nothing wrong if you call him. And I need to make it perfectly clear to you, Seras Victoria – I will not accept refusal. First, I will ask. Then I will demand. And then I will force you. But I have to warn you that if you make me stoop to that level, I cannot guarantee your safety. You see, there is a certain part of my monstrous being that I cannot control. This part of me forces me to crush any resistance and opposition with all my might and ferocity. The only way that a struggle between me and someone else can end is if at least one of us dies. With that in mind, what can you infer from the fact that I've been walking this Earth for a thousand years, Seras Victoria? One of the most difficult things for me has always been finding ways to avoid confrontations. Because all of them ended exactly the same. I've lived the majority of my life in solitude in order to avoid having to succumb to my bestial urges and kill innocent people. And I don't want to kill _you_. So, I'm going to ask again. Please, call your Master right now."

They stared each other in the face for a while. With inviting and even somewhat imploring expression on his face, Vseslav was waiting for response. On the other hand, the stubbornly defiant look on Seras's face was indicating fairly clearly that she was not about to change her mind.

"No," she finally replied coldly.

Vseslav eyes widened momentarily, as in shock. His teeth and fists clenched impulsively, and his breathing became labored. As rage started quickly building inside of him, his body began shaking while he was still trying to restrain himself.

"Why!? Why must you be so foolishly brave now!?" he exclaimed furiously, "Don't wager your life for something senseless like that, Seras Victoria! Don't awaken the monstrous side of me for something that we can easily settle without pain and blood! I will not be denied! Do you hear me?! I will not be denied! Don't push your luck and don't push me any further! Call him! Now!"

Seras was completely taken aback for a second but then regained control over her emotions.

"No," she repeated assertively.

"I will not be denied! You _will_ do what I say!"

Before Seras could even get herself ready for an attack, she realized that she was already in a restraining hold, and Vseslav was behind her, twisting her arm. Even her vampiric vision turned out to be incapable of tracking his incredible speed. Her shadowy spears immediately tried to pierce him but got deflected by his radiant aura, which kept slowly expanding. Surrounded by it, Seras felt burning sensation all over her body. She tried to wrestle herself away from him and was terrified when her attempt proved completely futile. His power felt overwhelming and unyielding.

"You are making it harder and harder for me not to kill you, Seras Victoria," she heard his hoarse voice above her ear, "I don't even remember the last time when I struggled so much against my own nature… Please, just do as I say and live! I will not… be able to hold off… for much longer… Please…"

Seras heard Vseslav groan strenuously, and then one of his clawed paws appeared before her face. The sight of his blade-like claws nearing her eyes evoked in her mind the subconscious memory from thirty years ago of the moment when she lost her human vision…

"Master! MASTER! MASTEEEER!"

At that very second, many kilometers away, Alucard shuddered as if he had been suddenly stabbed in the heart. Standing around multitude of dead bodies and covered in blood from head to toe, he realized that Seras was telepathically calling him. Wherever she was, he knew that he had to be there right away. Without saying a word, he disappeared.

Having understood that he had left her world and was gone from the area altogether, Elizabeth dropped flat on her stomach in the pool of blood around her and began sobbing hysterically. The only thing that she knew at that point was that she had been spared for the time being and was not going to die imminently, and the hopeless relief from that thought meant more to her than anything else had ever done…

When Alucard appeared in the middle of the forest, the first thing he saw was Seras's horror-stricken face and grisly claws that were about to plunge into it. It seemed that there was no time to assess the situation, and the best course of action had to be decided on the spot. He vanished, and in the next moment multiple shadowy arms appeared out of Seras's body. They grabbed Vseslav and lifted him in the air. Freed from his grasp, Seras quickly turned around and saw him being held above the ground, with the shadowy arms clutching him all over. The realization that all those arms were extending out of her own body was shocking, but she knew that she had nothing to be afraid of.

"I had to use your body to get as close to him as you were, Seras. I'm sorry, but there was just no other more sudden way to do that. Are you all right?" she heard Alucard's voice in her mind.

"Y-yes, Master," she somewhat hesitantly, "And I'm sorry."

"I don't understand what you are apologizing for, Seras. But we can talk about that later. Now, try to stay out of the way. The fact that he managed to subdue _you _means that he is far from an ordinary monster."

"He is…"

"Well, that just makes it much more interesting then, doesn't it?"

He slowly walked out of Seras's body, looking like a gigantic, monstrous spider, with numerous shadowy arms sticking out. He looked coldly at Vseslav and then grinned maliciously.

"Whoever you are, you must realize that now I'm obliged to kill you in the most gruesome way that my mind can come up with at this moment!" he exclaimed ominously, "I hope that you weren't expecting to _just die_ by my hand after you assaulted one of my most treasured persons."

"Of course not," Vseslav smirked, "Because where would be the fun in that?"

The aura around him suddenly flared up, dissolving portions of the shadowy arms that were holding him. Excited, anticipating and taken aback at the same time, Alucard watched his opponent freeing himself and descending on the ground on his feet.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Vlad the Impaler."

Meanwhile, back at the Hellsing mansion, Integra and Bennett were assessing the situation while sitting behind the computer in his exceedingly orderly room.

"… and with that, it appears that we have several pairs of corresponding good and bad news," Bennett continued, "The good news is that none of the members of the manor's defensive forces appear to have been injured or killed. The bad news is that all of them seem to be in a coma-like state and the full report on their condition will not be available for at least two hours, according to the chief of our medical staff. When he and brigades arrived, he immediately said that in-house treatment was out of question. The mansion obviously does not have the bed capacity to accommodate them all, and we cannot expect their condition to remain stable. So, as you ordered, all of them are being transported to the hospital as we speak. There, all the necessary examinations will be conducted, and I suspect that the two-hour timeframe that we have been given will extend at least twofold, maybe more. The other side of the equation, of course, is that these circumstances also imply that our headquarters have been completely stripped of its human-based defenses for an unspecified amount of time. With that in mind, I've taken the liberty of contacting our reserve unit and delivered your orders to mobilize forthwith. You haven't actually _ordered_ that when you spoke about our alternatives earlier, but you suggested that, and I thought that that would be the best course of action for the moment. Our reserve troops are supposed to be arriving within the hour. However, their number will not fully compensate for our main staff, and we _will_ be shorthanded."

"Yes, that's pretty much expected," Integra nodded, "What's the latest update on communications?"

"I'm afraid that we don't have one, ma'am," Bennett shook his head slightly, browsing through results of his system tests on the screen, "The good news, of course, is that the main communication channels have been restored and we have been able to send all necessary alerts and to summon all required emergency staff. The bad news is that we are still unable to reach miss Victoria or mister Alucard. Miss Victoria's device appears to be simply turned off, while mister Alucard… I'm not exactly sure how to interpret the results from the satellite tracking of his receiver, but… mister Alucard doesn't appear to be present in this world at all…"

"What!?" Integra exclaimed irately and rose from the chair, "Don't tell me that! Check it again!"

"Of course, ma'am," Bennett replied calmly, refreshing the data, "I suspect it to be a system glitch, but I cannot be… oh, wait… the tracking seems to be picking him up again. These are mister Alucard's coordinates, and… hm… am I going insane or these coordinates correspond to…"

"Richmond Park!" Integra finished his sentence heatedly, looking at the screen, and then slammed his fist on the table, "That doesn't make any sense! What is going on, dammit!?"

"My guess is as good as mine, Sir Integra."

"Well, whatever it is, it has to be related to everything else that happened tonight…" she gritted her

teeth and then sharply stepped away from the table, "And I'm not going to just sit and wait! I need to

know right now!"

"What do you intend to do, ma'am?"

"I'll go there, of course! I just hope I still remember how to fly the damn helicopter by myself."

"You cannot be serious, ma'am," Bennett looked at her questioningly and stood up, "You are not saying that you are going to go there along, are you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Bennett!"

"What about me? I have flown that helicopter recently, and I…"

"No," she cut him short, "I need you to stay here and manage the situation. Our reserve forces are going to need directions once they arrive. The agencies of the Round Table need to be notified as well. I want you to take care of that. And I also need you to feed me all the latest information right into my earpiece! I need you here, Bennett, do you understand?"

"Of course, ma'am," he nodded, "But if I may opine, all these requests are much lower on the list of priorities than your own safety. And besides… I'm not trying to undermine your stance, but how do you expect to help them?"

"I don't. If Alucard is there, then that means that he will take everything under his control one way or another. All I want to do is to be there and find out firsthand what is happening. That is my duty as their Master and Hellsing's leader. _You _are to stay here and substitute for me while I'm gone. Please, don't make me order you around after what we have gone through today, Bennett. Just do ask I ask. By the way, try contacting Alucard now and let him know that I will be arriving. He will not be able to respond, of course, but he will at least know… Somehow I think that abandoning everything and returning safely along with Seras is not an option that he will consider right now…"

"Yes, ma'am," Bennett bowed his head compliantly, "But please, be careful."

"Something like that sounds quite hypocritical coming from a person who purposely let a vampire bit him just a little while ago," Integra smirked and headed out of the room.

Bennett smiled contently in response and bowed again. As she left the room, he sat down and opened the top drawer where he kept contact information on the member of Round Table. Knowing how easy it was to obtain, manipulate and destroy information stored on any electronic device, he had always maintained hard copies of everything and tried to make sure that Hellsing's vital information existed _only_ as hard copies. In spite of the fact that such scrupulousness presented obvious hardships for Hellsing's operations, Bennett, being the record keeper, almost always had the last word and would rarely budge.

Pulling out his dual-lock fireproof-cased notebook, he turned his attention to the glass tube with the crossbow bolt that Seras and Alucard brought back from their operation. He put the notebook on the table, removed the tube from the drawer and held it with both hands for a moment. Then, an unexpected, sly smirk appeared on his face.

"How interesting," Alucard smirked, eyeing his opponent, "You are the second person who called me that within the last couple of days. I find it rather curious, considering that I haven't been called that for ages. But the first person, as it turned out, only did that for the show…"

"Well, I wouldn't expect anything else from somebody whose _own_ epithet is supposed to _be_ only for the show," Vseslav replied calmly.

"Oh, so that's how it is? You know about her… I'm not surprised, actually. I had a feeling that all that was just a piece of something bigger. It just seemed so bizarre for someone like her to decide out of the blue to willingly cross paths with me for a second time only to challenge me to a battle. So, I take it that she was your pawn? And you must be the mastermind behind this farce… Who are you and what's your purpose?"

"Please, don't rush your judgment, Count. I have no pawns. Rather, I myself started this game as a pawn on another's chessboard – only so that I could make it mine. The mastermind behind this farce is a human with a monstrous heart. I, on the other hand, have been trying to become the exact inverse of that, ever since I realized who I was by birth."

"By birth, you say? I'm curious tenfold now," Alucard grinned excitedly, "I sense a thrilling continuation of this night! Don't test my patience and tell me who you are so that I know whom I'm about to fight. Because that was your objective, wasn't it? You wanted to fight me, am I correct? And to get to that point, you acted on a whim of someone else. Speaking of which, who is that person? No one can expect to fire a shot at Hellsing and then simply walk away."

"Well, there wasn't just _one_ shot," Vseslav smirked, "He fired _two_… and he missed _both _of them. His aim was perfect, but his bullets… well… one of them was just an empty shell, and the other one had mind of its own. I hope that you are not going to ask me to elaborate. All you need to know is that you can focus on this moment, here and now. You have nothing else to worry about, trust me. How about I make you a deal, Count. I'll tell you who that wannabe monster is if you beat me. And if you don't – then I'll kill him _myself_. His being sickens me to the bottom of my heart, which, I dare to hope, is not nearly as black as his, despite that I'm about one millennium older than he is. My name is Vseslav, Count Dracula. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. As one ancient monster to another."

"Really?" Alucard sounded surprised and anticipating at the same time, "Vseslav the Seer? The most famous mystical legend of Slavs? The brief ruler of Kiev and then Polotsk in the eleventh century, who was believed to have been a werewolf?"

"So, you _have_ read the pages of history that have been dedicated to me. But in all fairness, nothing less is expected of a person who has carried his title of nobility for more than six hundred years, Count."

"Well, it was personal interest, as you probably understand. A monster learning about other monsters. But to be honest, I have always believed that accounts of your dark side were nothing more than folk tales. If you are telling the truth, then the pleasure to meet you is all mine, Prince of Polotsk!"

"Why would I lie about things that like that, Count? Or prince? Which one do you prefer? Since you are referring to me by my once-held title, I'm obliged to reciprocate. So?"

"Either one is fine," Alucard grinned, "I have _earned_ them both after I became what I am, even though I have only done that out of dire necessity."

"There is no need to explain yourself, Count. Not to me, that is. Having been born a monster into the world of humans, I've come to understand both sides of the deal. Besides, does it really matter how much we know and understand about each other? The only thing that matters is that both of us are ancient monster in one way or another, and neither of us has had a worthy opponent for quite a while. Does that about sum it up? And if so, why don't we just indulge our natures without further bothersome ado? Let's have it, Count!"

"My thoughts exactly!" Alucard exclaimed excitedly, spreading his arms apart, "Brace yourself, Prince of Polotsk! This battle will only be over with the death of at least one of us!"

"It better be so, because I won't have it any other way, Count!"

Both of them started rapidly transforming into their monstrous selves. Releasing an enormous flock of shadowy bats out of himself, Alucard turned into a large amorphous shadow with multiple arms. At the same time, Vseslav's body doubled in size and acquired his full bestial form, with massive bone-crushing jaw and blade-like claws. They charged at each other and a breathtaking fight ensued. Roaring and growling crazedly, they were tearing each other apart and immediately healing the damage, while at the same time laying waste to everything around them. At one point one of Alucard's shadowy arms managed to rip Vseslav's head clean off. Contrary to what could be expected in such situation, his decapitated body continued fighting. With his claws, covered in his flaring aura, he slashed through Alucard multiple times, literally causing his shadowy body to momentarily separate into floating pieces. While they were joining back together, Vseslav used the brief pause to retrieve his head and re-attached it right on the spot.

Awestruck by the terrifying and magnificent sight of such battle between two overwhelmingly powerful monsters, one of which was her Master, Seras realized that she had to reconsider her position only when a falling tree almost landed on her. She backed away somewhat clumsily, stumbled and fell on her back, watching the tree crush on the spot where she stood just a moment ago.

"Make sure to stay out of the way, Seras," she heard Alucard's voice in her mind, "And just a fair warning if you are planning to watch – this is only going to get uglier. But I _want_ you to watch. I _want_ you to realize once again _what_ I can be. For a monster of my magnitude, there are no limits to how much vileness I can harvest within. Look at it and understand how much I appreciate _your_ limits, Seras! Now, watch and see why you must preserve them and never become me! The night is so young, and the fun has just begun!"

Understanding by the racket what was happening deep in the forest and still sitting in his concealed location in the tree, Eye smirked.

"Well, it's finally time for the _big ones_," he muttered sarcastically to himself, "And I better get to see _something_ this time. It's bad enough that I didn't get to see what happened between that kick-ass bitch and that psycho named Victor. Even his gaze is messed up. When he stares at you, it's like he's eating you from inside. And it looks like she had him, dammit. What a surprise. I bet that that was an awesome watch. But if I don't get to see anything _now_, I will be pretty pissed. How often do you get to see two freaks like that going against each other? But let's just hope that they keep it up at the large scale and clear the area a little. I bet that the landscape will suffer some drastic changes… "

He then realized that there was another kind of sound, and it was coming from above. He looked up and saw a helicopter in sky. It surprised him, because he knew that, according to the plan, the local authorities were supposed to have been ordered to stay clear of the area, knowing that Hellsing was on the scene. He was surprised even more when the helicopter started descending and landed in the open area where the police officer had left his vehicle. Anticipating interesting development, Eye lifted his crossbow and aimed it in direction of the helicopter, waiting for the pilot to come out. He was completely taken aback when the pilot finally came out. His astonishment then quickly changed into satisfaction.

"Oh, look who we have here," he said to himself and smiled roguishly, "Grandma Integra Hellsing personally arrives on the scene. That means at least three things… Number one, she is quite a remarkable granny, being able to fly a helicopter by herself at her age. Number two, the Moonshadow fucked up. Suits him well. And number three, it appears that I ultimately get to take the stage. Who would have thought that '_Development C_' would be in order? I didn't even consider it to be a viable alternative. But mister Alhambra certainly did – and rightly so. As they say, granny Hellsing, 'It's the _quiet ones_ you gotta watch.' Everything seemed to have worked out, and you were stupid enough to have decided to come here alone. And in this case, luck doesn't favor the dumb. I'm sorry, my dear, but mister Alhambra wants you dead, so nothing personal… Oh, who am I kidding? I'm just dying to drop you! I have never let unsuspecting prey just walk away. You story ends here, Integra Hellsing… you will be missed… oh, not really…"

He aimed for a moment, pulled the trigger and followed the bolt to its target. As he watched the body collapse on the ground, another pair of eyes was doing exactly the same thing. Sitting on the driver seat of a car that was secretly parked behind a large bush about one kilometer away, at the turn of the road, Bennet smiled contently and lowered the binoculars with night vision.

"There is definitely no shortage of idiots in this world, is there, Sir Integra?"


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Witnessing once again Alucard's true monstrosity without even a hint of human appearance, Seras didn't find herself appalled much. Instead, she felt fascination and overwhelming reverence for her Master and his terrifying magnificence. Her mind was not even trying to associate his human looks with what he was right now. A humanlike creature or an amorphous shadow, he was her Master regardless, and she realized at that moment that she had absolutely no problem with that. In addition, she also realized how strongly she herself was emotionally involved in the battle, clenching her fists and breathing forcefully and anxiously. She grinned delightedly and mischievously when Alucard, being in his monstrous shadow form, completely engulfed Vseslav, apparently trying to trap him within. But when Vseslav managed to free himself, expanding his aura and tearing Alucard's entire body into shreds, Seras shuddered, worrying that her Master could have been badly hurt. She sighed in relief when she saw his shadowy body reforming in the air.

"Change of plans, Seras," she heard his voice in her mind again, "Our Master has arrived."

"I know. The helicopter…"

"I want you to go and meet her before she decides to come here. I haven't been around for the last thirty years, but I'm under impression that her defiance of danger hasn't lessened much. And she _has_ made some overly bold moves that bordered on a death wish in the past, and I'm sure that you can even remember a few of them yourself."

"Of course, I can," Seras smirked, "All right, I'll be going then… but… Master…"

"Yes?"

"I… I cannot exactly come up with the right words at the moment, but…"

"Hah, I know what you're trying to say… Don't worry, Seras. I haven't come back after thirty years of being stranded within my own world just so that I could die and _forever_ lose everything what I have returned for. Now go and let our Master know that both of us are all right. Because that is the main reason why she is here, regardless of what she may insist on… Go, Seras!"

"Yes, Master!" she replied reverently, "Enjoy your fight!"

She quickly determined where edge of the forest was and hastily headed back the way she came. Before disappearing completely behind the trees, she glanced over her shoulder to get another peek at the battle. She saw how Alucard's multiple shadowy arms grabbed Vseslav all over and pulled his body apart with such ease as if his limbs and head were meant to be detachable. Then, flocks of shadowy bats caught his torn off and bleeding body parts and dragged them away in different directions, trying to separate them from each other and prevent him from healing. Despite being overwhelmingly gruesome, that scene only made Seras feel wicked satisfaction and respect for her Master's spectacularly malevolent tactics. She smirked and then continued making her way through the woods. She didn't know, when she neared the edge, that she was already being carefully watched…

"No way. This cannot be happening!" Eye whispered excitedly to himself, "She is alive? That means that Vseslav disregarded one of the most important objectives of the plan… That was the main reason for him being in it in the first place, as far as I understood. He is among the very few monsters in this world whose powers outmatch hers so greatly that he can easily subdue her without having to fight or kill her. He was supposed to bring her into submission and then make Alucard witness her death… or so mister Alhambra expected, that is. Unless… hm… come to think of it… of course! I should have realized that earlier… Mister Alhambra thought everything through so prudently! He knew that a monster of Vseslav's magnitude couldn't be trusted to follow instruction to the letter. After all, what fool could expect to employ a thousand-year-old monster in such a messy affair and ignore the possibility of that monster having his own agenda? So, in the end, it appears that I have been the _ultimate backup_ all this time without even realizing it! How cunning, mister Alhambra. And what a thrill for me! I've already taken down the queen, and now I get to shoot her loyal pet…Whatever have I done to earn so much pleasure in one night?!"

He raised his crossbow and took aim, enjoying the act of following Seras's movement with the tip of the bolt. As he was about to pull the trigger, he suddenly had a sensation that petrified him.

It was the feeling of a _hunter's most terrifying fear _–the feeling of having been turned into pray. At that second he knew intuitively that he _himself _was within someone's aim. Realizing that his death was inevitable and imminent, he slowly turned his head in direction where he expected the shot to come from…

The first bullet struck him right through his _third eye_, and then several more followed, one after another, piecing his chest and neck. Knocked backwards from the impact, his body leaned, lost balance and dropped from the tree on the ground. There, it lied motionless for a few moments and then caught in blue flames. Having been enjoying living his more than century-old afterlife as a cold-blooded hunter, he nevertheless died just as his prey always did. But the greatest irony of all was the fact that his death was actually by the hand of the one whom he considered to be the newest addition to his trophy list…

Sitting in the backseat of the car, Integra pulled her sniping rifle with a silencer out of the open window and laid it beside her.

"Excellent shooting as always, Sir Integra," Bennett smiled contently, observing the situation though his binoculars with night vision.

"That's just an outright flattery, Bennett," she smirked, "You know as well as I do that this is our newest sniping rifle with modified microgrooved silver ammunition to make it especially useful against freaks. And the scope utilizes the latest chromatic separation and enhancement technologies, which allows me to see everything as clearly at night as I would be able in daylight. If I couldn't shoot a vampire with a weapon like that, I would be insulting my family's legacy and my own existence. I have killed freaks with far less sophisticated guns…"

"Of course you have, ma'am. And I was able to operate a twentieth century vacuum in order to clean the Hellsing estate before the newer developments arrived. It don't think that taking due advantage of useful technological progress devalues one's abilities. And in this case, in my opinion, that was excellent shooting. Regardless of what weapon you used."

"Fine, if you say so," Integra smiled, "But on that note, your plan was excellent as well, Bennett."

"With all due respect, ma'am, there was nothing grand about," he replied humbly, "Being able to use mistakes of our enemies against them is a necessity, not a skill. Besides, _his_ mistakes easily bordered on idiocy. He truly believed that you arrived alone, in the middle of the night."

"Well, I did consider doing just that, didn't I?"

"For how long, ma'am? Two minutes? Have you actually reached the end of the hallway before you re-evaluated your decision and came back?"

"Not quite… you have played me again, haven't you, Bennett?" Integra asked somewhat sternly.

"Of course not, ma'am," he said softly, "I've told you before that that was my way of letting you reassess your choices if I deemed them highly irrational. Ever since you've stopped smoking on a regular basis – which is greatly beneficial to your health, of course – you've become noticeably more impulsive in your actions and decisions. Before, you often had a cigar break to slow yourself down and curtail your tendency to rush into action. And now when you smoke sporadically, a cigar break isn't always an option. Which is why I usually try to give you an opportunity to walk it off instead of arguing. I knew that you would give everything a second thought while on your way to the heliport. And you did, and you realized exactly the same thing as I did. That somebody could have be waiting for us here… But just in case if you are wondering – I would have never let you come here alone…"

"I wasn't wondering," Integra smiled slightly, "I just don't know how to respond to that, Bennett…"

"I don't think that there is a need to, ma'am. You know that it is my pleasure to be of best possible service to you," he said calmly, continuing to scan the area with his binoculars, "Oh, it appears that miss Victoria is about to discover the interesting turn of events."

Meanwhile, Seras, having seen the sudden blue flare amid the woods at some distance away, quickly made her way there – only to discover a small pile of smoking ash. She knew that that obviously meant that a monster had just been killed there, and that it most likely had to do with Integra's presence. But to understand what exactly was going on, she needed to find Integra herself as soon as possible. She ran towards the edge of the forest that was being illuminated red and blue by the flickering lights of the police vehicle. As she made it outside, she saw the Hellsing's helicopter standing in the middle of the area. In the next moment, she became terrified by the sight of the motionless body that was lying on the ground.

"Sir Integra!" she exclaimed worriedly and rushed to it.

She dropped on her knees by the body and became terrified even more she saw the crossbow bolt sticking out of the head and the puddle of blood around it.

"Sir Integra… no…" she mourned distraughtly, "This isn't happening… this can't be…"

Overwhelmed with emotions, she struck the ground with her fist, refusing to believe what she was looking at. Then she suddenly realized something that baffled her: the blood didn't _smell _like it was supposed to. Instead, there was a distinct chemical scent to it. Her eyes widened in surprise as she understood the implication.

"But… What? _Major Integra_!?"

"So, I take it that the first true use of _Major Integra_ was a complete success," Bennett smiled contently, observing completely confounded Seras through his binoculars.

"Yes, after almost five years it looks like I finally get to justify the expenses that I made the second sir Penwood go through," Integra smirked, "Can you imagine? I'm so old that I've gotten to terrorize three generations of Penwoods with my requests… three!"

"I honestly think that you shouldn't correlate such events with one another, ma'am. Besides, the first sir Penwood, if I can refer to him this way, was not a young man. And the third one is still very green. Also, I don't think that _Major Integra_ was truly an expense that the second Penwood had to endure. Don't you remember that after the technical unit of His Majesty's Secret Service concluded their biomechanical research, the National Round Table conference was held? The Secret Service wanted to introduce new security measures and initiate serial production of bioandroids in order to create programmable robotic doubles for all top Government officials and agents, including you. Sir Penwood took initiative to suggest that the first bioandroid had to be made for _you_. I suspect that he had been putting on airs afterwards by suggesting that he had to put up with budget deductions in order to do you that favor. I actually believe that everything was quite the contrary, and the situation was rather convenient for the Secret Service. After all, _Major Integra_ did turn out to be the operational prototype that they could study and detect flaws without endangering officials in the public sector, right? I think that they embraced the possibility of giving the unperfected original to a privately-owned agency like Hellsing, as opposed to a public one…"

"Hm… I've never thought of that, to be honest," Integra replied ponderingly, "But that makes sense they way you put it. And, come to think of it, they did find several things that were wrong with _Major Integra_, didn't they? Like when they realized after one month, after they saw my newly appeared wrinkles, that _Major Integra_ had to undergo constant cosmetic enhancements in order to keep up with my face and body's natural age-related progression…"

"I'm pretty sure that that _wasn't_ how everything happened, ma'am," Bennett said in a insistingly confident tone, "The Secret Service's technical staff saw you with a bruise after a fencing practice, which lead them to realize that _all_ bioandroidal doubles had to receive periodical cosmetic adjustments in order to fulfill their purpose of looking like their hosts. What I _don't_ remember, however, is who first christened _Major Integra_ with that name? Was it miss Victoria or you?"

Integra smirked, noticing how readily, delicately and astutely Bennett managed to stir the conversation away from being relevant to her semi-conscious fear of aging, despite that she herself brought it to that point. She realized once again at that moment how appreciative she was of him.

"It was Seras," she said warmly, "The very first time when she saw that bioandroid, she said that the idea behind it reminded her of that insane major from Mellenium. And then she jokingly referred to the thing as _Major Integra_…"

"Ah, yes, now I remember. But it actually makes me wonder… according to your words and to what I have found out from the sources that are available to us, it is unclear for how long that major had been a robot. It's very possible that he had been in that state ever since the Second World War ended with defeat of the Nazi's. In that case, that major's main brainpower, the scientist who went only by the nickname 'Doc,' eighty years ago had access to technologies that the rest of humanity has developed only recently. Don't you find it alarming, ma'am? To know that somebody in this world, living in the _twentieth century_, had progressed _eighty years_ ahead of the entire human race?"

"Yes, I suppose," Integra sighed, "But that person is long dead, and let us hope that there are no more like him. Or, if there are more like him somewhere out there, then let us hope that they won't be our enemies… Anyway, what is Seras doing out there, Bennett? She should have figured out by know that she needed to turn of her receiver and microphone back on."

"She appears to be doing that right now," Bennett smiled, still looking through his binoculars, "And that means that we are about to…"

"Sir Integra, where are you!? Are you all right?" Integra and Bennett startled, hearing Seras's shrill scream in their earpieces.

"I'm deaf in one ear now, but still adequate," Integra replied sarcastically into her microphone, "Why have you turned off your communications, Seras?"

"I… I was occupied… long story, actually. But why is _Major Integra_ here and what happened, Sir Integra?"

"Long story as well, Seras. The mansion has been attacked while Alucard and you were gone. It appears that everything has been set up."

"I realized that when… well, long story, as I said, we can save it for later, I suppose. Any casualties among our forces?"

"No… if you consider death to be the only casualty that matters, that is. Out entire nightshift defensive staff, with a portion of dayshift, have been incapacitated for an uncertain period of time."

"I see…"

"Many things still don't make sense… Things like why Alucard is here, for example… He _is_ here, isn't he?"

"Yes. Master is fighting somebody very strange and very powerful…"

"Who?"

"Well, that's the strange part… he told me a little about himself, and… hm… wait a minute… why would I know anything? All I do is play with my _toys_ all night long…"

Such unexpected response surprised Integra and Bennett for a moment, and then both of them smiled softly.

"You aren't really going to try and get back at me _now_ for what I said earlier tonight, are you, Seras?" Integra asked calmly.

"Why not? Why would I know any better?"

"Fine," Integra sighed, shaking her head in slight frustration, "I apologize for earlier, Seras. I was a little agitated, and now you can probably guess why. However, you must understand that it doesn't really help your side of the argument if you are actually trying to give me attitude at time like this. Still, I'm tacking back what I've said earlier, and I'm sorry. Better?"

"Not so much, but I'll take it."

"Good. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, who is Alucard fighting?"

"A very eccentric person, if you ask me. His entire being feels utterly conflicting. He speaks and acts in a very noble and kind manner, but can become bestial and sadistic in the next moment if things don't go his way… He is a werewolf… He said that his name was Vs…Vseslav… or something like that… and that he was a prince of some medieval Slavic town… "

"What? He is _that _old?"

"Apparently. And it seemed that his only reason for being here was to fight Master. And Master acknowledged him and looked quite excited himself…"

"Really… now, that's something," Integra said ponderingly and looked at Bennett, "Have you ever come across that name in your research, Bennett? V… Vseslav, is it?"

"Actually, I think that I have, ma'am," Bennett nodded, "And more than once. I believe that his historical figure is more known as _Vseslav of Polotsk_ or _Vseslav the Seer_. He holds an important place in medieval Slavic history and folklore. His story dates back to the eleventh century, if I'm not mistaken. He was a prince of a Slavic town named Polotsk. Various folk accounts in history suggest that he possessed inhuman strength and agility, and was able to shape-shift his body during the full Moon… While I have been quite skeptical about that particular case ever since I first read about it, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be factual…"

"Pretty much nothing should be surprising to someone who has spent thirty years working for a monster-hunting organization," Integra smirked, "The real question is _why now_? Understandably, he and Alucard have been existing in this world simultaneously for centuries – except for the past thirty years, of course…"

"Your guess is as good as mine, ma'am," Bennett replied calmly, "But I'm sure that we will be able to find out everything that we want to know if mister Alucard actually…"

"Alucard cannot lose no matter what," Integra suddenly interrupted, sounding somewhat anxious.

"Of course not, ma'am. What I meant to say was that we were going to find out everything that we wanted to know if mister Alucard had actually bothered to find out everything himself _first_. Because somehow I think that learning his opponent's motives is probably not the first thing on his mind right now…"

"Hey, what's with the silence all of a sudden?" both of Integra and Bennett heard Seras's impatient voice in their earpieces, "Don't forget that I'm standing here in the open with a bleeding and incapacitated robot…"

"By the way, how badly is Major Integra damaged, miss Victoria?" Bennett asked.

"I'm… I'm not sure… It seems to be completely out of operation… which reminds me – the crossbow bolt and the blue flames…"

"Yes. _Major Integra _was the bait, and our sneaky follower took it all in one bite," Integra replied.

"But that means that he has been here the whole time, doesn't it!?"

"Apparently so. But can we save drawing conclusion for later, Seras? For right now everything has been resolved, and none of us is luckily dead. We need to figure out what to do next…"

"Oh yeah, about that. Master sent me here to tell you to keep yourself away from the battle. And now that I have told you that, I think that I will be heading back there…"

"What!?" Integra exclaimed, "Are you out of your mind, Seras? I can tell even from here that something devastating is happening there right now! I will not let you return there, do you hear me? That's an order!"

"It's quite amusing how harshly you show that you care," Seras replied after a short pause in a slightly teasing tone.

"Of course I care, you idiot," Integra sighed, "Just drag _Major Integra_ to the helicopter and stay put, all right?"

"Fine. But I'm flying it to the headquarters then."

"That could turn out unfortunate news for Sir Penwood..."

"Oh, come on, I will be careful!"

"Yes, yes, I know…"

There was a long moment of silence, after which Seras spoke again.

"Sir Integra, Bennett, I… I don't really know what words to use… but I'm happy that you are alive and well…"

There was another long moment of silence because neither of the two replied, waiting for each other to say something appropriate.

"I'm sure that all of us are happy to still have each other, Seras," Integra finally said, "Because this night has presented all of us with opportunities to lose each other. Which is why I want it to be over as soon as possible…"

After she said that, all three of them looked in direction where the battle between two ancient monsters was yet to reach its peak.

Regardless of what powers and strategies Alucard and Vseslav kept using against each other, it didn't appear that either of the two of them was in complete control of the fight. Even when Alucard ripped his opponent into pieces and separated them from each other using his shadow bats, that devastatingly destructive move didn't seem to have given him the upper hand. The aura around Vseslav's mangled torso expanded, re-created the shapes of his missing body parts, which then turned into flesh. At the same time, his other body parts, still being held by the shadowy bats, burned away with blinding flares, killing all the shadowy bats nearby. Vseslav rose on his hind legs, spread apart his grisly paws with blade-like claws and let out a terrifying howl, showing that he was ready for much more. In response, Alucard laughed echoingly and excitedly.

"Excellent, Vseslav the Seer! It's been a while since I've had an equal match! You abilities are incredible! You must truly be the king of your kind and the master of you bestial nature!"

"I might disappoint you, Count, but that monstrous part of me seems to have a mind of its own," Alucard heard Vseslav responding telepathically to him, "When the beast before your eyes is ready to fight to the death, the human part of me, along with its consciousness is being hopelessly suppressed within. I _am_ the monster before you, and yet, at the same time, I'm _not_. I'm neither a human nor a monster, and yet I'm both. I've chosen to become this suffering paradox of nature because I refused to accept my fate. If there is anything that I've understood during ten centuries of my lifetime, it is that _those who are born monsters are destined to become monsters_. Those who choose to resist this premise become prisoners of their own existence. And I have never regretted my choice of becoming a prisoner of my own existence for the sake of righteousness. Neither have my first six sons… But my seventh son… Victor… they say that an apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Well, this one must have rolled down the hill into a ditch and was left to rot there. Having yielded to his monstrosity completely, he became the disgusting incarnation of my life-long hatred – somebody who embraces his own comfort at the expense of the rest. As a father of this brute, I was obliged to put an end to his vile existence. As a werewolf, however, I could not go against my kind. Fortunately, Victor saw his last full Moon tonight. I'm much obliged to your lovely Draculina… Considering how young she is as a vampire, her power is something to marvel at. And she herself is, perhaps, the best unity of humanity and monstrosity that I have ever seen. You should be proud of her, Count. And you should be grateful to have her. I find myself envious of you… in a good way. Now then, I thank you for listening and not provoking this beast any further. It gave me sufficient time to gather enough willpower to lock him back within me. As you can imagine, once he is out, it's very difficult to suppress him. Luckily, both him and you got to indulge your monstrous selves without taking innocent lives. But now, it's _my_ turn to have fun!"

His body gradually shrunk down to the human size and began changing its form. The shining aura around him became so intense that it completely hid him from view. And then it waned, revealing a medieval warrior standing amidst it. He was wearing a full-body steel mail and a helmet, and was holding a sword in his hands. His face looked the same as before, except for the thick beard.

"I apologize that I had to cut your amusement short, but I myself wasn't having any, because that beast is _not_ who I am!" he exclaimed valiantly, "Still, I gave you a moment of thrill, and I expect the same from you in return. I, Vseslav of Polotsk, am now challenging you to a battle! Come on, let us have it! Fight me like a human that you have once been, and I will fight you like a human that I have never quite gotten to become! Let us fight to the death! Accept my challenge, Vlad the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia!"

"It will be a true pleasure and privilege, Vseslav of Polotsk…"

Alucard's shadow descended on the ground, condensed, and then he walked out of it in his human form and in his former appearance of prince of Wallachia. Reflecting off his finely polished cuirass and blade of his sword, the moonlight was illuminating his face and glittering in his black beard and glossy eyes. He looked at his opponent steadily for a little while, and then bowed his head slightly to show acknowledgment and respect. Vseslav responded in the same manner. Then, without saying a word, they charged at each other, roaring fervently. Their swords clashed violently in the air, raining sparks all over the place – and the battle began anew. Boldly attacking and masterfully parrying each other's strikes, Alucard and Vseslav were giving each other the best of their swordsmanship. At one opportune moment, Vseslav, while agilely dodging Alucard's blow, managed to counter with a powerful jab, aiming right at his neck. Alucard stepped away just in time but the blade still reached him, leaving a bloody trail on his cheek. Vseslav also retreated several steps, curiously awaiting his opponent's reaction.

"Excellent work!" Alucard nodded approvingly and smirked, "It reminds me of the last time when I had a swordfight like this. Interestingly enough, my opponent back then, a paladin of Iscariot, father Alexander Anderson, was also a mix of humanity and monstrosity. Human-made monstrosity, that is. That man chose to abandon his humanity during our battle and turned himself into a monster in order to defeat me. I find it utterly ironic that _now_ I'm fighting somebody who did exactly the opposite. It takes a man to defeat a monster. If I am to be defeated, it must be by a human. Being defeated by someone less than a human is unacceptable. And when it comes to you, Vseslav… Regardless of the fact that the other part of your nature is a ruthless monster, I acknowledge you as a human. So, if this battle between us happened in the past, I would have been content if you defeated me. But not anymore. Human or monster, I will not let you kill me. I returned to this world because here I have those who I want to live for. As long as I have them, I will not embrace the possibility of my existence coming to an end. Not now, not ever!"

He charged at Vseslav, and they clashed again, crossing their swords. Colliding with tremendous force, the blades clanged deafeningly, and Vseslav's blade broke in half. There was nothing else left to do Alucard but to seize that moment. Clenching something in his fist, he punched Vseslav in the chest with inhuman power, piercing the armor and thrusting his hand all the way through, and then quickly pulled it out. Spitting blood and quivering in agony, Vseslav fell on the ground. The shining aura appeared around him again, flared up momentarily and then began separating from his body, acquiring a shape of a giant werewolf. As it separated completely, it let out an echoing howl and then quickly ascended into the sky while lighting up everything around. Alucard looked down at Vseslav. The flesh around his horrifying would was progressively disintegrating into gray dust, but he was undoubtedly still alive, with such a delighted smile on his face as if it indicated some kind of long-awaited ultimate satisfaction.

"So… this must be… what it feels like… to truly be a human," he uttered faintly, "Such a nice feeling… don't you agree, Count? Or have you forgotten?"

"Of course not," Alucard smirked, "How could I have forgotten something that I have given up in order to continue my existence?"

"Well, at least you have had it… On the other hand, I had been stripped of it altogether before I was even born… and yet, somehow I think… that at this moment I'm… happier than you are…"

"That was your purpose for being here tonight, wasn't it, Vseslav?"

"Yes… the _ultimate wish_… after all this years… my sword has finally given in… along with my existence… It all turned out just as I expected… I took an opportunity to be the tool of someone's coldhearted revenge… and turned it into the instrument of my own salvation…"

"Revenge? How intriguing and pathetic at the same time," Alucard grinned, "I usually find it to be the case that when revenge is involved in something, idiocy stands right beside."

"Very much true, Count… the person behind all this farce is very clever in his deeds… yet he is childishly foolish in his beliefs… but that does not give him a pass… he is one of those who understand pain yet don't think twice before making others suffer it… those who do not possess the human virtue of forgiveness do not deserve to be humans… he may be a man in his body, but he is definitely a monster in his heart…"

"Who is he, Vseslav? You made me a deal, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Vseslav smiled weakly, "I have always honored my words… You have beaten me, so I will tell you his name… but I there is something else that I want to ask you before I go… about something that you said just now…"

"Yes?"

"You said that it always took a human to defeat a monster… and that being defeated by anything less than a human would be unacceptable…"

"Yes…"

"So then, doesn't that premise serve you in two ways? For one, you must _always_ defeat monsters that stand against you… that is the only way that you will never be defeated by one of _them_… But _you_ are a monster yourself, aren't you? So, what does it make _you_ when _you_ defeat other monsters? It makes you feel that you are slowly regaining humanness, doesn't it, Count? Is that why you have chosen to side with humans in their everlasting struggle against monsters? Have you finally set out to reclaim your humanness or at least a portion of it? I suppose that I don't want an answer to that question… it know what it is… even if you were to deny it, you would be only lying to yourself… Still, your cause is among the noblest of all, Count… keep it up and maybe some day you will be able to reclaim enough humanness from nature in order to become fitting for the two most treasured persons in your life…"

"Maybe I will…" Alucard smiled impudently, "On the other hand, maybe I just find it amusing to side with humans…"

"We both understand that it doesn't have to be one of the other," Vseslav smirked and slowly closed his eyes, "Ah… what a nice feeling indeed… born a monster yet dying a _true_ human… thank you for fulfilling my _ultimate wish_, Count. I will be going now. I regret deeply that I have never been and would never be able to make amends for all the evils that my existence has brought about, regardless of how much I have tried to avoid it. I will die with that burden, but it's all right… Now, let me fulfill my end of the deal… The monster with a human body goes by the name Markus Alhambra… Somehow I feel that your are thrilled to find that out… Farewell, Prince of Wallachia… "

"Farewell, Vseslav of Polotsk."

Standing motionlessly and with cold expression on his face, Alucard watched the remainder of Vseslav's body crumble and turn into dust. Then, an unexpected gust of wind came out of nowhere and blew all of it away, leaving only Seras's gift, the melted silver bullet, lying on the ground. Alucard slowly squatted and picked it up. Holding it in his palm, he studied it under the moonlight and then clenched it in his fist and looked at the Moon itself.

"Markus Alhambra…" he uttered quietly to himself and grinned.

His shoulders started shaking as he began to chuckle – and pretty soon Seras, Integra and Bennett heard boisterous, resonating laughter filling the entire forest…

It was the evening of next day when the four core members of Hellsing gathered in Integra's office. Having been thoroughly cleaned by Bennett, the room barely showed any evidence of the attack on the night before. Even the new specially ordered reinforced window had already been installed. The only exception was the table, which had visible markings on its lacquered surface from falling on the floor and turning over. Looking at one of the scratches, Integra slowly passed her finger over it and then rose from her chair and eyed the rest. Despite that neither of them had slept since the events, she appeared more tired than Alucard, Seras and Bennett combined.

"I can't think of any better way to put right now, but I'm glad that all of you are still here after what happened," she said wearily, "We have spent all the time until this moment to deal with the aftermath and conduct urgent investigations. I have held the Round Table conference this morning, as you know, and several resolutions have been made. While there are still many unanswered questions, I think that we have discovered enough information to proceed with our response. Bennett, if you may… you are much better in summarizing…"

"Of course, ma'am," Bennett bowed slightly and placed several folders with reports, which he was holding in his hands, on the table, "As you said, there are still many details to be uncovered. But there is no doubt that all the events of last night were a part of a carefully planned operation, the goal of which appears to have been to eliminate the leadership and essential members of Hellsing. According to our understanding, the enemy intended to lure mister Alucard and miss Victoria out of the headquarters. In doing so, several advantages would be gained. For one, the Hellsing manor would be exposed to any kind of supernatural attack, because its human defenses would be inefficient in that case. Secondly, both mister Alucard and miss Victoria would be made into easier targets when alone; however, that premise was supposed to mostly apply Victoria, based on our interpretation of the facts. While the plan itself seems to have been very thoughtfully devised, its execution failed at its final stages. There have been no casualties on our side, but all the members of our defensive forces that were on staff at time of the attack – roughly seventy percent of the total number – are currently in the hospital in a coma-like state. Their condition is puzzling but stable, according to our medical staff. With regards to the enemy, out of five agents that were involved in the operation, four were killed. The whereabouts and condition of the fifth one are not completely definite at this point. She is to be presumed alive until confirmed otherwise, according to Sir Integra's order …"

"Oh, she _is_ alive," Alucard grinned spitefully, "But I'm expecting to get right on that in a little while… the only thing I'm waiting for in an order…"

"Patience, Alucard," Integra sighed exhaustedly, "Your enthusiasm is encouraging, but let us all get on the same page with the facts first… Bennett, continue…"

"Yes, ma'am," Bennett nodded, "So, as I was saying, the enemy had five agents. All of them have been identified using our intelligence sources, including underground ones. As it would have been expected in this case, all of the enemy agents were monsters. Moreover, neither of them can be considered a low-category monster, according to our qualification charts. The current name of the woman who initially challenged mister Alucard to battle by means of a deceitful letter is Eliza Bethor. Based on information from our underground informants in the United States, she is presently a leader of her own highly distinguished monster-hunting organization. All we know at this moment is that they operate out of several sites, with the main one located in the state of California. More detailed information is still pending. Eliza Bethor herself, as it turns out, is no other than the Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, also known in history as the _Bloody Countess_. According to historical accounts, that woman and her accomplices have tortured and murdered five to six hundred people in the sixteenth century. It is suspected that the actual number of that woman's victims had been lost in history… for that matter, the accounts of her escaping imprisonment and becoming a vampire seem to have also been lost in history or never existed at all. Next, Mister Alucard's second opponent named Vseslav. Yet another prominent historical account that turned out to be factual. The ruler of the Slavic town of Polotsk in the eleventh century, _Vseslav the Seer_ had been credited for his inhuman power and had been believed to be able to shape-shift his body. In other words, he was a werewolf, and mister Alucard had a chance to confirm that last night…"

"He was one of the most miserable creatures that I have ever encountered. Suffering through his existence and unable to end it," Alucard said grimly, "Yet, I will remember him as one of the very few whom I respected from the bottom of my heart…"

"According to what you have said about his worldview, he truly does deserve utmost respect," Bennett nodded lightly, "It appears that him taking the matter in his own hands actually went against what he was expected to do. Which brings us to his son Victor. The circumstances surrounding his participation in the operation clearly indicate that he was not expected to play any role in at all. He appears to simply have been an accompanying agent without any specific instructions. The same cannot be said about our secretive crossbowman that had revealed his existence to us a while ago. We have been finally able to discover his identity after he swallowed an unexpected and irresistible bait last night. While the blind normally make poor hunters, that one was quite an exception. Although he was on my list of suspects from the beginning, I was unable to find sufficient information on him. Based on our underground sources, he went simply by the name Eye. He was called that after his _third eye_, which he claimed to have had perfected by ridding himself of his human eyes. He wasn't known to have many connections in the underground world and preferred solitary living for the most part. When it comes to his role in the operation, I believe that he was supposed to serve as essential backup, but only in case if something went totally wrong. That would probably explain why he did not attack miss Victoria upon her initial arrival…"

"I didn't know that anyone was there… I didn't feel him… there was nothing…" Seras muttered slightly embarrassedly.

"He might have been too far even for _you_ to feel his presence, Seras" Alucard said in a somewhat educating tone, "He was a hunter, after all. He supposedly had to know what he needed to do in order not to become prey. However, _true_ hunters must always be choosy about their prey. Because when hunters turn into executioners and start letting their weapons _punish all without distinction_, then they become careless and begin to overestimate their worth and disregard their instincts until it's too late. Still, I want you to be more careful, Seras. For you to become a victim of someone's pretentious amusement is simply unacceptable."

"Yes, Master…"

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that something like that sounds utterly one-sided when it comes from someone like you, Alucard" Integra remarked sarcastically and smirked.

"But you _do_ know better, Master?" Alucard grinned, "My amusement is never pretentious, because I always make sure that my actions reach as far as my words and intentions do. And speaking about pretentious amusement, I believe that the monster that attacked the headquarters in our absence was full of it, wasn't he?"

"More so than not, I suppose," Bennett nodded composedly, evidently unpestered with constant interruptions, "And he was rather an oddity among the rest of them, in my opinion. I was able to identify him fairly easily. He went by the nickname 'Moonshadow,' but was also known as father Gregory. According to several sources, including our own Vatican Intelligence team, father Gregory had been a staff member of the auxiliary unit of the Special Division Thirteen for a number of years in the past. But the records of his discharge appear to be classified at the highest level, and the access can be authorized only by the Vatican's Chief of Operations or the Pope himself. Information regarding father Gregory becoming a vampire is also unavailable. The status of his affiliation with the Vatican until the last night is also unknown. We can go as far as speculating that he acted on behalf of the Vatican, but I personally don't believe it to be have been the case. Even if it were, that still wouldn't give us sufficiently solid factual evidence in order to put forth any accusations against them. Furthermore, the consequences of that move would be largely unfavorable for either side…"

"We wouldn't need _any_ evidence if we decided to get back at them," Integra said sternly, clenching her fist and bringing it down on the table, "They have done more than enough in the past… Still, it would be unwise of us to engage in that sort of battle. If they were involved in what happened last night, then the outcome will serve a damn good reminder for them that Hellsing is not to be trifled with. I'm not satisfied with that, but that is how it must be for now. So then, with all that taken into account, the one who truly stood behind everything turned out to be quite an oddity himself, didn't he?"

"Well, for the most part, yes. The emergence of Markus Alhambra as the enemy of Hellsing is indeed baffling. His motives, however, seem to be pretty clear."

"It doesn't matter what his motives are," Seras said decisively, "The only thing that matters is that he is our enemy. He has made an attempt upon our lives, and he will not get away with that. I have unloaded a magazine of my rifle into his father thirty years ago – and I will not hesitate to do the same to him."

"I'm going to repeat myself, but I definitely like how you have changed during my absence, Seras," Alucard grinned, "Can you imagine saying something like that thirty years ago?"

Seras smirked in appreciation of that unusual comment but didn't say anything. Integra and Bennett both seemed fairly unaffected, which indicated that such expression of her character was not a novelty.

"I will carefully consider your enthusiasm, Seras," Integra said in a somewhat teasing tone, "And in doing so, I will be taking into account your recent insubordination…"

"Oh, come on! This doesn't even pass for a bad joke!" Seras exclaimed, "I told you that I was so occupied that thinking about turning my microphone back on was way down on my list…"

"I know… but now I have to determine where it fits on _my_ list to send you on the mission to eliminate that man… speaking of which… Do we have information on him, Bennett?"

"More than enough, ma'am," Bennett nodded, "Combing our official and underground sources, I've compiled quite an extensive file on him within an hour. It appears that he has not attempted to hide his existence in any way. He currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He also owns real estate in California, Arizona and Florida. Several historical societies in the United States, along with a few foreign ones, have his name listed among their most significant philanthropic contributors. He is also a member of quite a few web-based occult enthusiast clubs or organizations. With regards to his present whereabouts, I went as far as requesting up-to-date information from our air transportation authorities. According to their records, he left London for Miami in the early morning today…"

"Running away already… how pathetically prudent," Integra said gravely, "Alucard, you understand what to do, right? We will advance with our response in steps, according to how much information we obtain. Currently, we can proceed with step one. Markus Alhambra is to be eliminated. You will get all the information from Bennett and go, Alucard."

"As you wish, my Master," Alucard bowed his head, grinning delightedly.

"What about me, Sir Integra?" Seras exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Seras, but you know what trouble we will have to go through in order to get you across the ocean," Integra shook her head, "But Alucard's ability allows him to bypass that hindrance now…"

"But Master can take me with him, like before!"

"Oh… that's right… I forgot about that," Integra sighed and pressed her palms against her face in exhaustion, "I'm just totally washed-out and can hardly think straight… it feels like I haven't slept for ages… growing old is so awful… well, Alucard, it's up to you whether to take Seras along or not… just be careful, both of you… I feel that I need to go to bed now, otherwise I will pass out on the table…"

"I will escort you, ma'am," Bennett readily rose from his seat.

"I'm fine, Bennett," she replied with a weak smirk and stood up, "It's enough that I myself recognize new limitations due to my age every day, but when you begin to do the same, it's…"

"My apologies, ma'am, but my offer really had nothing to do with that… I would find it rather appropriate to offer an escort to _anyone_ in your state of exhaustion…"

Keeping the smirk on her face, Integra proceeded out of the office but then stopped in the doorway.

"Good hunting, both of you," she said without turning her head.

"I wouldn't even call it that, Master," Alucard smiled wickedly, "Also, do I have your permission to _improvise_?"

"Improvise?" she repeated in a slightly surprised voice, "You have never asked me before to let you _improvise_. But as I just said, I'm too worn out to deliberate right now. Fine, I will allow. But I better not discover from the morning news that the entire state of Florida is on lockdown because you have gone on rampage."

"No, nothing like that. Sweet dreams, Master."

"You know, Alucard, I can't even remember another time when I was so tired that these words sounded soothing coming from you," she snickered and looked over her shoulder at Bennett, "Good night, Bennet."

"Good night, ma'am," he replied with a content smile and bowed, "Call me if you need anything."

"I'm pretty sure that once my head hits the pillow I won't be needing anything until morning or, perhaps, afternoon… speaking of which… I just decided… I want to sleep late tomorrow, so I don't want to know anything about anything until I wake up by myself… except for emergencies, of course…"

"Yes ma'am. I will gladly make sure that you get a good rest."

Without saying anything else, Integra proceeded down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. Slightly puzzled by such unexpected turn of events, both Bennett and Seras looked at Alucard, waiting for his next move.

"We will be getting ready shortly, Seras," he said, still looking down the hallway where Integra just went, "But before that, I need to have a word with you, Bennett."

He walked out of the office and stopped on the other side, waiting for Bennett to follow.

"Certainly, sir," Bennett nodded and left the room.

There was nothing left to do for Seras but to remain seated in her chair, confusedly ponder the situation and watch Bennett and Alucard talking to each without hearing what was being said.

"I just wanted to tell you that Master has shown me the digital recording of the events of the last night, made by our self-sustained recording system, and I found your performance to have been quite impressive, Bennett," Alucard smirked, "I'm not very good at expressing human sentiments anymore – it's been centuries, after all – but I want to say that I greatly appreciate you as member of Hellsing..."

"Thank you," Bennett smiled and bowed his head, "It truly means a great deal coming from you, mister Alucard."

"Just 'Alucard'…"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You can drop the '_mister_' part from now on, Bennett. You don't need to be _saying_ it anymore. _Actions_ speak much louder than words, and you've made your point. Also, I hope that you have some ammunition for my guns ready because I'm all out… Never before I have pointlessly wasted so many bullets in one night… Furthermore, prepare all the information that I will need within the hour. We will not be departing earlier than that because I probably should account for the time zone difference and not arrive there before sunset and attract unnecessary attention, otherwise the entire state may indeed go into lockdown… having to drink only medical blood is actually quite wearisome… Speaking of which, I want to have my meal before we go. And I know that Seras will want hers too, so bring enough for the two of us."

"Of course, Alucard."

As Bennett headed down the hallway, Alucard turned around and returned to the office where he left Seras with a wondering expression on her face.

"Is everything all right, Master?" she asked when he entered.

"Yes, everything is fine, Seras. Everything is perfectly fine," he replied with a sly smile, "We will be leaving in a little while. I couldn't just go alone and have all the fun to myself, could I? Actually, I have a surprise for you. Here's what I need you to do..."

It was shortly after the sundown when Markus returned to his beach house in Miami. Having arrived to the city in the afternoon, he had spent the rest of the day meeting his connections and trying to figure out what to do next. Not taking off his shoes, he hastily proceeded upstairs. Passing by the poolroom, he glanced through the open door into complete darkness and then noticed something lying on the floor right where the light from the hallway could reach to illuminate it. Without turning on the lights in the poolroom, Markus walked in, bend over and picked up the object, which turned out to a playing card.

"What? _King of spades_?" he muttered ponderingly.

"Symbolic in many ways, isn't it? Although I doubt that your father would ever pick up a card that didn't belong to him…"

Markus shuddered, seeing a pair of red glowing eyes appear in the darkness. Then the lights turned on by themselves but remained very dim. Faintly illuminating the room, they revealed Alucard sitting in the middle of it in a chair.

"I was starting to get a little bit worried that something might have happened to you," he said apathetically, "And that would have been quite unfortunate because I _ought_ be the first who should make things happen to you…"

Shocked but not seemingly terrified, Markus slowly took a step back towards the exit, which made Alucard smirk.

"Please, don't pretend to be _that_ stupid," he shook his head slightly, "I would even be offended if you _were _that stupid, to be honest. After seeing that the plan of your lifetime for getting back at me failed, you wouldn't be thinking that simply running away from me would do the trick, would you? On the other hand, why _would_ you want to run away from me? Don't you want to meet the monster the thoughts of which have been hunting you in your dreams and wakeful hours for your entire life? Well, I'm here, so why don't you take a closer look?"

They started at each other for a moment, and the Markus slowly proceeded further into the room, to the pool table, not taking his eyes of Alucard.

"I'm not afraid of you," he said assertively, "You are right, why should I be? Actually, I expected that we would eventually meet… Come to think of it, I was even ready for it… I have considered the alternatives… I knew that if my plan were to fail, I would not live for much longer after that… It's just that _complete failure_ had never been an alternative that I considered…"

"Well, that's only natural, isn't it?" Alucard smirked, "Accepting the idea of inevitable defeat usually eliminates the desire to try… So, how does it feel now knowing that your entire life has been wasted for nothing?"

"You won't break me that kind of talk."

"Oh really?" Alucard replied amusedly, "I know what you are thinking right now, Markus Alhambra. You are thinking that it really doesn't matter that you have failed in what you have dedicated your life to because you believe that it had been for a good cause, right? And that it only matters that you have given it everything that you had and tried as hard as you could, right? That kind of bullshit is much older than _I_ am. One person told me once that if something could be achieved easily, it probably wasn't worth it. Then it turned out that for fifty-five years of his life he had been planning a move that he believed was worth sacrificing everything that he had. He thought that just because he had worked so hard for it, it would eventually turn out worth his efforts. I'm pretty sure that you know who I'm talking about, provided that you seem to have done extensive research on everything that was related to your plan. I'm talking about Walter Dollneaz. The person who had lived most of his life serving the legacy that he expected one day to betray – for the cause that he believed was worth it. And, to him, it was… but regardless of what one believes, there is always the truth. And the truth was that his cause wasn't worth anything. He accomplished nothing and only brought about his own demise. Your situation isn't any different, Markus Alhambra. I know what you believe. You have painted your father in your mind as a victim of the circumstances. You have perceived him to be blameless. You have desperately and eagerly tried to find somebody to blame on for his death. And you picked me for obvious reasons – I was the one who ended his life. And so, for you entirelife you have been searching for a way to get your revenge on me. But here's something that I find rather

droll… You respect the memory of your father, there is no doubt about that. After all these years, you continue to imitate the way that he dressed and looked. This coat, this hat, your mustache… You remind me of him quite a bit, actually. You've been trying to turn yourself into a living tribute to him. But then tell me something… If you believed that he was an innocent victim of the circumstances, if you believed that he had been a good person, if you had made him an example for yourself to follow – if you believed all that, then why would you do something that he would have never done? I know about the portion of the bloody Nazi treasure. I'm sure that you believe that he did not want it. But why would then _you_ lay your hands on it? And why would you spend it on finding ways to bring pain to someone else? Does that sound like something that your father would approve? If you believe that he was a good person, that is… But the truth is that there is nothing surprising about the whole thing… you actually _are_ very much like your father in all ways… And he _would have_ approved everything that you did… because the picture of him that you painted in your mind was a naïve forgery…"

"Shut up!" Markus exclaimed, clenching his fists, "Shut up! You know nothing about my father!"

"Is that so?" Alucard grinned, "Considering that I have given him the _ultimate interrogation_ on the roof of that hotel thirty years ago, the one who knows nothing about him is _you_. How complete your memories are? Is anything missing from them? Has anything been repressed or simply forgotten? How well can a seven-year-old child understand and interpret things around him? A child cannot be blamed for wearing rose-colored glasses, but an adult who refuses to take them off must be! I will tell you the truth about your father, Markus Alhambra! As soon as his blood touched my tongue, I understood everything about him. I had all his memories, I knew all his desires, and I read all his thoughts. First of all, there was very little room for _you_ in his mind, so if you believe that he loved you very much, then you better rid yourself of that illusion! Second, he _chose_ to join Millennium. He was sick and disgusted with having to entertain others as means of living, so he found a way to entertain _himself_!"

"It's a lie! He was…"

"Silence! I never lie because I have no need to hide anything or mislead anyone – because I'm able to deal with the consequences of _everything_ that I say. You father _joined _Millennium. If you ever thought that he was forced to do anything for them, then you must be an idiot! Millennium was an open freakshow menagerie! All of them, down to the very last SS soldier, followed that insane major out of their own free will. Anyone who could be of any use to him was welcome to enlist – otherwise he wouldn't have been able to go as far as he did. Furthermore, if you ever thought that you father wanted nothing to do with that hidden portion of the Nazi gold, then you were wrong again. He wanted it. He _craved_ it. But he was afraid to touch it while Millennium was still around. Part of his reason to join Millennium was actually so that he could be up-to-date with their whereabouts and plans. Wealth, power and wanton amusement was all that was on your father's mind! But do you know what _wasn't_? You, Markus Alhambra! I know that because I had his entire essence inside me! What's wrong now, righteous avenger? You look like you have seen a ghost! Do I pass for one? And my, do you look pathetic wearing that outfit! Devotedly imitating the person who couldn't care less about you! So then, how do you feel about your life _now_? To me, it sounds like a complete waste! Still, you have put up quite a show for me, and I thank you for it! Just like that insane major did thirty years ago! The only difference was that _his_ plan actually worked! Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Still sitting in the chair, Alucard went into his uncontrollable, maniacal laughter. Completely overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions flooding his mind, Markus stood motionlessly with his back against the pool table. The sight and sound of Alucard laughing was infuriating him more and more. His teeth clenched and his hand slipped behind his back, reaching for the pool cue that was lying on the table. When he felt it under his palm, he quickly grasped it and charged at Alucard, screaming violently. As he was about to jab the cue into Alucard's chest, he suddenly realized that he was no longer holding it. Instead, he himself was being held by the neck by Alucard, who was already standing on the floor and clenching the cue in his other hand.

"So, you prefer to pick your own time to die rather than to wait for your execution?" Alucard said

gravely, "All right then. As they say, a monster deserves monster's death. Yet another match between you and your father..."

He pulled his arm backwards to allow for a more powerful strike and then impaled Markus with the cue. Markus's body arched involuntarily from sharp pain and he groaned, spitting out blood. The last thing that he saw before his eyes closed forever was Alucard's disdainful face. As his body stopped moving, Alucard tossed it on the pool table and looked down on the floor at the puddle of blood at his feet. He gazed at it for a while and then smirked.

"Even if I could – I wouldn't. Now, I wonder how long I will have to wait for the main event…"

He walked back to the chair, sat down, and then the lights in the room went out. He sat like that for at least at hour, motionlessly and in complete darkness. When he finally heard the sound of the front door being kicked-open downstairs, an excited grin appeared on his face.

Having knocked the door of the hinges, Elizabeth hastily entered the house, holding a pistol in each hand.

"I know that you are in here somewhere, mister Alhambra!" she said loudly and looked around, "The guys told me that you went in about an hour ago and had not left after that! They said that they wanted to take care of you by themselves, but how could I let them!? You are mine, you pathetic bastard! Did you really think that you could make a throwaway out of me? Or did you think I wouldn't be able to find you? By the way, much respect for you friend Alejandro. The only way that I managed to get anything out of him was through drinking him dry. I cannot believe that he sided with you on this! Where are you hiding, you swine? Come out and face me!"

Seeing that there was nobody on the first floor, she went upstairs. Walking through the lighted hallway, she stopped abruptly by the entrance to the poolroom as she felt strong scent of blood. She looked inside and froze on the spot when she saw Alucard with her vampiric vision.

"You didn't think I have forgotten about you, Elizabeth, did you?" he smirked.

Instinctively, she pointed her pistols at him but then decided that fleeing would be a much better alternative. Before she tried to retreat, however, he appeared in front of her, grabbed her and violently threw her into the poolroom, where she crashed into the back wall, and fell face down on the floor, dropping her pistols.

"It's pointless to struggle, Elizabeth," he said sternly, standing in the doorway.

Looking at him, she reached for her pistol but he fired an explosive round at her hand and blew it off.

"I told you not to struggle," Alucard repeated assertively, "We are not having a fight. _You are just going to die_. And the more you resist, the more painful it will be."

Giving him a fierce stare and clenching her teeth, Elizabeth stood up and leaned against the wall. Her wounded arm completed itself with the portion of her shadow, which then turned into flesh.

"So, just like that?" she smirked nervously, "You expect me to die just like that? Just shut up, accept it and die?"

"Yes. And you will because you know that there is nothing that you can do to stop me," Alucard said, taking several steps towards her, "But you also to also realize that _you are not my enemy_. Rather, you are _my_ _burden_. A centuries-old mistake. Normally, I don't let my mistakes go uncorrected for that long, so you should consider yourself lucky. Also, I don't negotiate with my mistakes or let them decide whether they want to be fixed or not. The reason that I fought you last night was that I just wanted to see what my oldest living mistake has made of itself. And what I have seen disgusted me, Elizabeth. I should have just killed you when we first met. But I spared you. I thought that fear of me would turn you away from darkness. Instead, it made you even more afraid of your own humanity. All those humans that you've murdered… before you became a vampire and after it… I know why you killed them, Elizabeth. While killing them, you were actually trying to kill the fear of your own human weakness and memories of it. You saw yourself in them again and again, and you just kept killing… Even after you became a vampire, you still saw yourself as a weak human. But I need to tell you a little secret, Elizabeth. Becoming a vampire may save you from illness, aging and death, but it cannot save you from your cowardice. The gift of Darkness was wasted on you, and it was my fault that it happened. As a vampire, you are a pathetic piece of shit. And you will die like one. But just out of curiosity, wouldn't you like to see a _true_ vampire, Elizabeth? Unlike you, she has managed to overcome her cowardice and in thirty years has become something that you cannot even hope to be…"

He disappeared momentarily and then reappeared with Seras standing beside him. In her arms, she was holding her revolving machineguns, with the ammunition belts being fed into them from two gigantic semi-portable containers, similar to those that she used against Zorin's forces thirty years ago. Petrified, Elizabeth stood motionless and with her eyes wide-open. If her distinguishing aristocratically light skin could become any paler, it most certainly would.

"I don't suppose that introductions are necessary," Alucard smirked, amused by Elizabeth's complete astonishment, "Now then, tell me something, Seras…"

"What, Master?"

"Have you ever destroyed a world before?"

"Eh… n-not yet, I guess," Seras replied somewhat confusedly, unsure what answer he expected to hear to such an awkward question.

"Well, seem to have done a very good job to prepare for it, just as I told you. With guns like these, it will be a lot of fun."

A portion of his shadow extended from his shoulder and blended into Seras's shadow arm, and then both of them disappeared with malicious grins on their faces. Realizing what was about to happen, Elizabeth gasped in terror. In the next moment, a shrill hysterical cry pieced the silence of the night…


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

About to enter the Pope's residence, M'quve stopped in the doorway and bowed.

"I humbly apologize for making you wait, Your Holiness," he said softly, "I was waiting on Heinkel for the latest report…"

"Oh, it's quite all right," the Pope responded, standing by the window with his back turned to M'quve, "I was just enjoying the view, as usual. Vatican is so beautiful in the evening, isn't it? So, no word from Mooshadow still?"

"Nothing, Your Holiness."

"And Hellsing?"

"Well, as you know, we have been having problems obtaining inside information on Hellsing for years… Their butler alone is worth a team of counter-intelligence experts. Fortunately, the same doesn't apply to the members of the Round Table. According to our informant, a conference was held yesterday morning in the Hellsing headquarters. Integra Hellsing was among the participants. Actually, it appears that an interesting development may be on its way… but we need to get more information before we can draw conclusions…"

"I see… Well, you know what that means with regards to Mooshadow, right?"

"Of course," M'quve smirked, "I knew that that was going to be a _no-loss affair_. Integra Hellsing or Moonshadow, the disappearance of either of the two would have made our lives easier… So, I went for it…"

"Once again, I must commend your cleverness, M'quve."

"It is an honor to be praised by You, Your Holiness."

"And what of that man? Apparently, he met his monster. And not only that… Something far grander happened there… I saw the news. Do we know what took place there?"

"Not at the moment, Your Holiness. We only had a portion of Markus Alhambra's plan in our hands. I have a feeling that the remaining details of his plan could help us unravel that mystery. We are currently working on finding out more information. So far we only know that Miami-city has been humbled. Never before such gory occurrence has been witnessed. The city and state authorities are all over the case, and it looks at this point that even their Federal Government is expected to get involved…"

"Such piteous sight, isn't it?" the Pope replied somewhat sarcastically, "Fussing ardently yet uselessly, like a termite colony disturbed by a behemoth. Will they ever find out what happened? And if they do, what will they be able to do? Pointless. The majority must be kept ignorant, because that is the key to stability and obedience. Now then what of the churches?"

"Our bishops say that reports are pouring from all over the country about drastic increase in church attendees, Your Holiness."

"Naturally. Where else but in the house of God must a fearful human with no answers seek comfort? Still, I find it rather shameful, M'Quve. Do you think that God is happy right now?"

"Your Holiness?"

"Do you think that God is happy?" the Pope repeated somewhat sternly, "Do you think that He is pleased with what this world has turned into? The world where humans need a terrifying act of a ruthless monster to occur in order for them to decide to come together? The world where only a catastrophe can remind people that they are powerless without God? Honestly, I sometimes think that the Second Flood is pending… We have a great deal to think about, M'Quve… Perhaps, we can even use this ado stirred up by the spawn of Darkness for our own advantage and betterment. Pass on the orders to our American bishops to seize the opportunity and make sure that those who have finally turned to God in desperation do not turn away when the turmoil passes. God does not want part-time followers, I think that you know that…"

"Of course, Your Holiness," M'quve bowed his head in acknowledgment, "I will relay Your orders right away. What shall we do with regards to Helling and Alucard?"

"Why _should_ we do anything at this point? If they wanted to openly claim our involvement in their recent trouble – they would have already done so. Instead, they decided to chew and swallow it, which I find to be a rational move on their part. Furthermore, monsters that Hellsing possesses are far too powerful for us to deal with at the moment. Besides, the existence of like monsters will always serve as a reminder that God's side is better. It is our duty to make them perish, but we must delay for the time being. Right now, Hellsing is a beehive without honey, and it will only be clever of us to avoid vexing them. Still, make sure to keep up with their current developments… When God decides to use us as tool of His Divine Punishment, we must be ready…"

"Understood, Your Holiness."

Following the route through the forested terrain behind the Hellsing manor, Alucard and Integra were taking a stroll under the rising Moon.

"While it was rather unusual of you to suggest an evening walk, I found it quite convenient, Alucard," Integra said, looking ahead, "There are a few things that I wanted to talk to you about."

"I figured that much, Master," Alucard replied calmly.

"You probably understand how many reasons for a headache I have right now. First things first… What on Earth happened in Miami? I know that you and Seras not only killed that man but also fixed your centuries-old mistake, the Bloody Countess, who also came there for payback. I don't really care why you haven't shared that part you plan with me, because I myself had allowed you to _improvise_. All I want to know is _why_ the authorities reported this morning that they found his house completely covered blood on the inside, and the basement was knee-deep in blood, and it was leaking outside, drenching the surrounding area. According to the estimate, however rough it may have been, there was enough blood to account for at least two thousand humans."

"Two thousand one hundred and seventeen, to be exact," Alucard grinned, "But they weren't humans. They were Elizabeth's familiars. You are well aware that familiars constitute the majority of a vampire's powers. They are the form that their essence gains when it is absorbed by a vampire. The most effective and quick way to kill an ancient vampire like Elizabeth is to destroy that vampire's familiars all at once. Naturally, such task is probably unattainable, but not for me… I have discovered a very interesting use of my new abilities. If I want to be in someone's inner world – then I _can_ be. Not only that, but it so happens that I can take Seras along. So, Seras and I simply went into Elizabeth's inner world. There, we eliminated all of her familiars within minutes. To be fair, however, it was Seras who _owned_ the stage. Her machineguns tore everything in sight to shreds and bloody pulp while I was basically enjoying the show. Once Elizabeth's familiars were destroyed, their essence was freed and had to find the way out of her body… You understand the implication, I presume, don't you, Master?"

"Yes, I do," Integra replied sternly and winced, "And I probably shouldn't have asked. Still, I don't think that it was good decision to take Seras with you inside someone else's world…"

"I can assure you that she had a time of her life, Master," Alucard smirked.

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Integra sighed, shaking her head, "But that's not what I meant. I think that it was very irresponsible of you to drag Seras into something that you yourself didn't have full control of… she was completely dependent on you in that situation, I hope you understand that."

"Nothing would happen to her while I was around. Besides, since when do you expect a monster like me to be responsible, Master?"

"Good point," Integra smiled sarcastically, "But that doesn't save me from headache anyway. I just hope that I will not want to shoot myself in the head when I finally get to hear the media's explanation for all those things… not just the house full of blood in Miami, but the strange blue flames above Richmond Park that illuminated the night sky and took shapes of unspeakable beasts. Do you realize how many people that live close enough to the park saw that? The two most prominent 'versions' purported by the media at this point are massive shot-circuiting of the electric lines and enormous explosion of gas pipelines, both of which are completely mindless, and it only takes half a brain to understand that. Hellsing's task, of course, is to perpetuate the state of blissful ignorance for the unthinking majority, but I sometimes wonder how low can certain people go. Even the police officers from that precinct. They supposedly were the closest to the scene… except for us, of course… Certainly, they didn't know the magnitude of what was happening, but they damn well knew what was going on. Do you think at least one of them talked about it? It irritates me, Alucard. Things have changed so much. And so has Hellsing's role. The mouse in the room has turned into an elephant, and yet we still have to keep covering it with a blanket and support those whose role it is to prevent people from understanding that that elephant exists. I'm conflicted, Alucard. Neither of the options that I have seems plausible. Can I retire? I don't think so. One doesn't simply retire from a job like that. It's not even a job. It's my family's legacy… I've been in my position since I was twelve… the leader of Hellsing organization is who I am… it is my life and I cannot simply give it up. I don't know if I will be able to go through with living normal life. Besides, if I do retire, do you know what will happen to you and Seras? I can tell you what will happen. You will be given an ultimatum – join the successor of Hellsing and remain monster hunters or refuse and become monsters that _are_ hunted. And I know that neither of you will join. And I also understand, of course, that for them to make you their enemies would be the same as committing suicide, but it would completely destroy me to see you and Seras becoming Britain's enemies. I cannot let that happen, Alucard. Of course, I could order both of you to become part-time assets of the Government so that hundreds of innocent people don't get themselves killed while trying to take you down, but I don't want to do that. That would be grossly unfair. You and Seras deserve more and better for your service to our country. And then there is Bennett… he is truly a member of our family… Actually, come to think of it, my retirement wouldn't really affect him, I suppose… I think that he would just choose to remain by my side anyway… but then we have all of our other staff… Naturally, I would try to do everything in my power to ensure that they had been transitioned into another agencies before I retired, but I would not be able to guarantee anything. Overall, my decision to retire would force so many unfavorable circumstances onto everyone under my command that I don't even want to think about it. On the other hand, can I go on like that? Not really… I cannot cast away twenty or thirty years of my life and be perfectly suited for my role again. I'm not in shape to fulfill it anymore… On that night there were two attempts upon my life, and I didn't avert either of them. Bennett physically protected me from the first one and was clever enough to ensure that the second one foiled… I barely did anything for myself…"

"Considering the circumstances, I can only say that you are overly exaggerating your irrelevance, Master, " Alucard said coldly, "I'm absolutely sure that Bennett would contend the same…"

"Bennett would contend anything to make me feel better," Integra smiled.

"He has no reason to lie to you, and not do I, Master."

"That's not the point, Alucard. It's obvious that I'm becoming more and more dependent upon him, you and Seras. As a leader, I ought to be worried about that. And it will only get worse. It won't be long before I become a burden…"

"I would never consider you that, Master. Nor would Benner or Seras."

"You know that I appreciate these words, Alucard. But they are only _words_. The thing that truly matters in this case is facts. And the facts are that I can no longer perform my duties like I was able to. And I cannot discharge myself of them, either. There is no lesser evil in a situation like that."

"From a standpoint of a human, yes. But I thought that you have made the decision, Master."

"Which brings us to that," Integra sighed, "Yes, I thought that I had made that decision, but I haven't been able to bring myself to accept it yet. Becoming a vampire… being granted the ability to live for as long as you want, until you decide that the time has come… turning into something… something…"

"Something that you have hunted for years?" Alucard smirked, "Something that invoked utter pity and disgust in you at the same time? Something that you believed was lower than your human worth? Well, you have always been right about all of those things. Still, it all depends on how you look at it and if you consider it to be a fair trade."

"Do _you_ consider it a fair trade, Alucard?"

"You know that there is no definite reply to that, Master. It always depends on the circumstances. What I _can_ tell you with certainty, however, is that being a monster in the body does not make you a monster in the heart. Unless you want that to happen, that is."

"That's quite a thing for you to say, Alucard. Honestly, I had never thought that I would hear it from you one day."

"Even monsters like me can change…"

"Do you know that I posed a question during the Round Table Conference about me becoming a freak? Can you imagine that the majority of the members seemed to be rather in favor?"

"Better that than getting you replaced, that's what they think," Alucard said dryly, "That sounds cynically prudent on their part. They would rather have you as a vampire than deal with those who would come after you once you were off the stage. And yet, it does play into our hands, doesn't it, Master?"

"Yes, I suppose. It was more or less a confirmation that they would not really care who I was as long as the business continued as usual. I don't know whether to be disgusted or satisfied with such an outcome."

"Perhaps, a little bit of both…"

"Still, making a choice between humanness and monstrosity is not something that I think that I will ever be able to do," Integra said sternly, looking that the Moon, "I'm sure that many people would embrace the possibility… but for me… the more I think about it – the more I believe that the only way that I will ever be able to make a choice like that would be if I were forced into it. What's more, I understand now that I _want_ to be forced into it… and yet I'm afraid at the same time…"

"Excellent," Alucard uttered softly, with a mischievous grin on his face, "I was waiting for that, Master…"

"What?"

Before Integra could realize what was going on, she felt the barrel of Alucard's silver pistol pressing against her stomach. The shot knocked her backwards, and she fell on the ground. Spitting out blood and agonizing in pain, she was looking at Alucard's silhouette standing before her as it was gradually blurring in her eyes.

"Aluc-card…"

"I'm such a monster, aren't I?" she heard his unexpectedly tender voice in her mind, "I shot my Master, who is also a lady and one of the two dearest persons to me. Still, there was no better way to make you understand. A true vampire is only born when a human chooses to turn to Darkness in the face of imminent death. Those who embrace Darkness for the sole purpose of eliminating their human fears or breaking their limits become its prisoners, and I would definitely not let you join their ranks. But you said that you wanted to be forced into making the decision between death and afterlife… well, you didn't say it that way, but that was what you meant, am I right? Even if I'm not, there is no going back… With a wound like that, you just have a few minutes left. You can die like a human or continue like a monster with a human heart. The choice is all yours, Master. What do you want to do?"


End file.
